A Daughter remembers : ' Jyoti ~ Kalash '

ॐ 

A Daughter remembers : ' Jyoti ~ Kalash '

                   Like a  child that  climbs out of the womb of Earth and stands in awe witnessing the glorious golden Sun rays, sparkling on the highest peak of  majestic  Everest and remains transfixed that is the feeling flooding my tiny heart as I sit and write and remember my father , late poet Pandit Narendra Sharma. 

             His contribution is immense. It is spread over six decades on all the modern mass media communication avenues like Books, Films, Radio, Television and now the WWW Internet via YouTube, Face book etc.

          For me , i confess that  my Papa  was our  family's ' Jyoti ~ Kalash ' !  He remains  life  giving , illuminating SUN energizing and inspiring me inspite of lifes' pitfalls. I hope, his immortal  poems and songs will inspires us all today and forever.So, 

  I dedicate the song  ' Jyoti - Kalash Chalke' in his fond memory. 

 Song Link :   

 http://www.geeta-kavita.com/hindi_sahitya.asp?id=129

 We all know him for his Hindi Songs but he was also an expert astrologer,  Ayurvedic healer, as well as human  encyclopedia on Indian History , Culture and Philosophy. 

Many children were given unique names like Vihaan ( Dawn ) , Yuti ( Union ) Lavanya ( Grace = me :)  Kunjam ( Cuckoo ) , Sopan ( chapter or ascent = My Son )

             Some Rare names given by him include ' Vividh - Bharti, ' Manjusha, Bela Ke Phool, Hawa Mahal , Gajra, etc for AIR , the name Dilip Kumar to Yusuf khan & NAVKETAN for Dev Anand's Film Production co. 

           A gifted child ' Narendra ' was born on February 28th , 1913 in village Jahangirpur,  Tehsil , Khurja of district Bulandshahar U.P. in a Bharadwaj Brahmin family. He lost his father Purna Lal Sharma when he was merely 4 years old and was  raised lovingly by Uncle Ganpat Tau ji &  Ma Ganga Devi.

            A child prodigy ' Narendra ' named thus by an uncle (a fan of Tagore) entered straight into class  7 th and was a top student in his class and favorite of Teachers.  

            Passing intermediate from Khurja, he  joined Allahabad university and did his Masters in English lit. & Education. 

            The Sangam city of Allahabad introduced the budding poet to giants of Hindi literature like Niralaji , Mahadevi, Pant, Bachchan, Kedar Nath , Shamsher &  many others.  Narendra's book of poems ' Shool - Phool ' was released @ age 20. Teaching other students  and doing editorial duties ( he  was sub editor of  Abhyudaya Hindi Daily Newspaper. ) he completed his studies. 

                After graduating He taught English & Hindi poetry @ Benaras Hindu University.Then joined AICC @ Allahabad as Hindi Secretary to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru & joined All India Congress Committee as Hindi Adhikari Feb 1955           

                      

             Narendra Sharma' poems written in his youth , depicting love and longing and splandour of Nature steadily turned patriotic  as India reached its'  tryst with Destiny. 

                       During AICC work he was imprisoned on direct ordinance of Viceroy and jailed without trial by the British. The patriot had august company of Menon, kriplani  etc in Devli Detention Camp &  Rajasthan &  Pune Jails. He did fast unto Death for 14 days &  was force fed in order to keep him alive &  released early. 

                               Mother Ganga Devi remained hungry for 1 week  and awaitied her son's arrival at home. 

Novelist  Shri  Bhagwati Charan Verma ( Chitralekha fame ) arrived and asked the patriot to come away with him to the Film city of Bombay to join Bombay Talkies under Devika Rani. Thus began the journey of a young man born near the Ganga to go towards the Arabian Sea where destiny introduced him to Susheela Godiwala.  ( his wife to be from a Gujrati family.)  They  got married on may 12th 1947. Their home @ Shivaji park Matunga was a hub of artistic and creative activity with the likes of  Flutist Panna Lal Ghosh, Poet Pant,  Legendry music director Anil Biswas,  Shayar Dr Safdar Aah sitapuri,  The up & coming director Ramand  Sagar,  established Director Producer Chetan Anand & his younger sibling Vijay Anand,  A New actor & star  Dilip Kumar , Novelist Shri Amrit Lal Nagar etc as regular Guests. 

Narendra Sharma's poetry blossomed along with his many Film songs as years rolled on. The Progressive Patriotic tone eventually  embraced the core values of humanity and emerged  and paraphrased words from Indian philosophy with fascinating use of  many rarely used meters in his later poems.  
              So much so that his fellow poets said ' The Goddess of Poetry Mata Saraswati turned shy as a  young maiden stood up  from her White Lotus seat and took on the robes of Mother India and the poems of Narendra  became heavy with the age old wisdom of the vedas and became  extremely difficult ' 

                                   Narendra Sharma confessed in a foreword  from his Book ' Pyasa - Nirjhar ' [ Thirsty Brook ] 

' my earlier poems were the krishna paksh ( waning Moon cycle ) and my later poems are the transition towards Shukla Paksha ( Waxing Moon ) ( Shukla paksha refers to the bright lunar fortnight or waxing moon in the Hindu calendar. [Shukla (Sanskrit: शुक्ल) is Sanskrit word for color white]  

                  A Saint Poet in the tradition of our Bhakt Kavi Tulsi, Narsimh Mehta &  Tukaram .
poet Narendra Sharma remained young at heart till his last breath.

१९६० मे प्रकाशित "द्रौपदी: कवि अपनी खँडकाव्य की भूमिका में  स्वीकार  करता है कि "
राष्ट्रीय चेतना के निर्माण मे पुराण कथाओँ का बडा हाथ होता है। भारतीय जन मानस पर इनका गहरा प्रभाव है।
सुधार, प्रगति या आधुनिकता के नाम पर अचेतन जनमानस और पुराण कथाओँ से आज का काव्य अछूता , असँपृक्त रहे , यह उचित नहीँ। '

                        Narendra Sharma understood the changing social scene and  the changing modern mind.
Thus he &  Mr Pai were first to introduce Ramayan &  Mahabharat ,via  Indrajaal comic strip for children.

         Singer Late Shri MUKESH ji recorded Ram Charit Manas under his supervision for HMV. Among many other private albums  are  ' Prem, Bhakti, Mukti' , Ram Shyam Gu Gaan ' & others. 

                     
19 Books of Poems  like  among them are -
most famous ' Prawasee Ke Geet ' ( songs of a Traveler ) '
Hans - Mala, ( garland of Swan )   ' Rakt - chandan ( on Gandhiji ) ,
 Agni - Shasya ( child of Fire )  Kadlee - Van,  Draupadi , Uttar Jai, Bahut Raat Gaye etc &
 short stories  like Arti ki Thali , Kadvi Mithee Baatein &   innumerable Radio plays, Essays, Film songs, Dance Ballets ( for Sachin Shankar : Mermaid & Fishermen )  etc remain in 16 volume
Entire work of Pandit Narendra Sharma's ' Rachnawali '  

               

 Here , Janab Rifat Sarosh sahab writes about how Vividh Bharti came into being. Linkhttp://radionamaa.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_29.html

             

 His Guidance for Durga Sapt Shatee ' sung by Anuradha Paudwal , Concepts like MAHABHARAT T.V series  & title songs like ' Satyam Shivam Sunderam ' &'  Atha Shree Mahabharat Katha'   his speeches to graduating students @ IIT Powai , Mumbai on Indian alphabets, OM symbol &  many others  Essays on topics like History of Hindi Film Music & ' Hindi Sahitya ka itihas '  etc remain with us. Do please see this link : 

Geet Ka Safar : Sahitya se Film tak :

 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.106333169451092.13501.100002232293823&type=1

For film : ' Meera Dubbing of Tamil Lyrics into Hindi was accomplished by Narendra Sharma  for Nightingale Shri Subhalaxmi ji.  She says  : 

 T. Sadashivam 

M. S. Subbulaxmi

SAVANT :
" The name Pandit Narendra Sharma is dear to us for nearly half a century. When a few years ago, someone suggested that Smt. Subbulaxmi should sing the Hindi renderings of the Tamil song of the Maha Kavi Subramanyam Bharti, we , spontaneously thought of Pandit Narendra Sharma to translate a few songs of poet Bharti into Hindi." 

 During the production of my " Meera " in which Smt. Subbulaxmi was featured as Bhakta Meera, Shri Narendra Sharma's association was of immense help to us. While we admired him as a great poet and a " Savant " in Hindi Literature we admired him as he was just simple and lovable. His fragile image with a beauty and friendly smile present all the time on his face could never be forgotten.

MS Subbulaxmiji sang the "Mangal - Geetam " when my mother Smt. Susheela Narendra Sharma entered as a newly married bride and Sri Amrutlal Nagarji's wife Pratibhaji made Susheela stand on huge brass platter, filled with Kumkum filled water and she stepped like a ' Laxmi ' entering a home.
Suraiyaji , the famous songstress also sang songs to welcome the Bride ! Other Guests in Baraat were famous Cine - stars like Sri Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, music director Sri Anil Biswas, Bansuree vadak Sri Panna Lal Ghosh, director brothers Sri Chetan Ananda &  Vijay Anand ,
 The famous Chhayawadi poet Sri Sumitra Nandan Pantji , Sri Ramananda Sagar ji , Urdu poet Safdar " Aah " sahab amd many other from Bombay Talkies and Hindi literrarry & Film circle. 
Art fraternity, also was represented in large number as my mother Susheela was a Fine Arts graduate from Haldenker 's Institute . Their wedding card had an Easel shaped like a Lotus Leaf &  a PEN was inserted in the middle in form of a brush !

  Remembers  Swar Samragnee Su Shri Lata Mangeshkar Didi ji,  in an article : 

http://www.abhivyakti-hindi.org/lekhak/l/lata_mangeshkar.htm

From an article :

 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/memories-of-an-uncompromising-ustad/640005/0 

"I was deeply touched when Ustad Ali Akbar Khan requested me to sing the title song of Aandhiyan penned by renowned lyricist, Narendra Sharma. I cried after recording the title song, ' Aye kisi ki shaadmani,'  which he composed so well with minimum number of instruments emphasizing on my voice and delivery during the mukhdas and antaras. I did not charge producer Dev Anand a single penny for the song."

Link -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EvqkiAPLq_w

                    The Innugural song for ASIAD Games @ New Delhi, ' Swagatam Shubh Swagatam ' , The Innugural song for Vividh Bharti composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar ,  " Nach Re Mayura '  composed by Anil Biswas & sung by Manna Dey , Two of legendry Subhrahmaniyam Bharti's poems ,' Swasti ~ Shri ' & ' Jaynaad ' &  Kannada poet Shivruddrappa's poem ' Purush sukta ' in Hindi  as ' Nav Bharat Purush ' ,  ' Surdas A Minstrel of Shri Krishna ' ,  Tagore's poem ' Shei din dujone '   transformed as ,  ' Nain Deewaane, ik nahin maane , kare man maani maane na ' in Suraiya's lilting sweet voice and Marathee Kavi Shri Tambe's poem in Hindi emerged as '  Madhu mang na mere madhur meet ' sung by Shri Sudhir Phadke for Doordarshan in a LIVE telecast from Mumbai. etc are among the many gems that glitter on. 

            Our Family Home : &  My Memories: 

पँडित नरेन्द्र शर्मा, श्रीमती सुशीला शर्मा तथा २ बहनेँ वासवी (गोद मेँ है शौनक छोटा सा और पुत्र मौलिक) बाँधवी (बच्चे- कुँजम, दीपम ) लावण्या (बच्चे -सिँदुर व सोपान) और भाई परितोष घर के बारामदे मेँ

आज याद करूँ तब ये क्षण भी स्मृति मेँ कौँध - कौँध जाते हैँ.

(अ) हम बच्चे दोपहरी मेँ जब सारे बडे सो रहे थे। पडोस के माणिक दादा के घर से कच्चे पक्के आम तोड करकिलकारीयाँ भर रहे थे कि,अचानक पापाजी वहाँ आ पहुँचे। गरज कर कहा,"अरे! यह आम पूछे बिना क्योँ तोडे ? जाओ, जाकर माफी माँगो और फल लौटा दो"एक तो चोरी करते पकडे गए और उपर से माफी माँगनी पडी ! परन्तु इस घटना के बाद, हम बच्चे अपने और पराये की वस्तु  का भेद आज तक भूल नही पाए। यही उनकी शिक्षा थी। 

(ब) मेरी उम्र होगी कोई ८ या ९ साल की पापाजी ने, कवि शिरोमणि कवि कालिदास की कृति"मेघदूत" से पढनेको कहा। सँस्कृत कठिन थी परँतु, जहाँ कहीँ , मैँ लडखडाती, वे मेरा उच्चारण शुध्ध कर देते। आज, पूजा करते समय, हर श्लोक के साथ ये पल याद आते हैँ। 

(क)   सिँदूर के जन्म के बाद जब भी रात को उठती, पापा, मेरे पास सहारा देते, मिल जाते।  मुझसे कहते, "बेटा, मैँ हूँ, यहाँ" आज मेरी बिटिया की प्रसूती के बाद,यही वात्सल्य उँडेलते समय,पापाजी की निस्छल, प्रेम मय वाणी औरस्पर्श का अनुभव हो जाता है। जीवन अत्ततित के गर्भ से उदित होकर,भविष्य को सँजोता आगे बढ रहा है। 

Late Poet Dr. Hariwans Rai ' Bachchan ji 's tribute on 60 th Birthday of his friend :
" योँ तो नरेन्द्र जी इन चालीस वर्षोँ मेँ हमारी हिन्दी कविता जितने सोपानोँ से होकर निकली है, उन सब पर बराबर पाँव रखते हुए चले हैं .   शायद प्रारम्भिक छायावादी, उसके बाद जीवन के सँपर्क माँसलता लेते हुए ऐसी कविताएँ, प्रगतिशील कविताएँ, दार्शनिक कविताएँ, सब सोपानोँ मेँ इनकी अपनी छाप है. ...मैँ आपसे यह कहना चाहता हूँ कि प्रेमानुभूति के कवि के रुप मेँ नरेँद्रजी मेँ जितनी सूक्षमताएँ हैँ और जितना उद्`बोधन है , मैँ कोई एक्जाज़्रेशन ( अतिशयोक्ति ) नहीँ कर रहा हूँ वह आपको हिन्दी के किसी कवि मेँ नहीँ मिलेँगीँ उस समय को जब मैँ याद करता हूँ , तो मुझे ऐसा लगता है , भाषाओँ से हमारी कविता ने एक ऐसी भूमि छूई थी और एक ऐसा साहस दिखलाया था, जो साहस छायावादी कवियोँ मेँ नहीँ है ! वह जीवन से निकट अनुभूतियोँ से ऊपर उठकर ऊपर चला जाता था, यानी उसको छिपाने के लिये , छिपाने के लिये तो नहँ, कमसे कम शायद वह परम्परा नहीँ थी ! इस वास्ते उस भूमि को वे छूते ही नहीँ थे , लेकिन जन नरेन्द्र आये, तो उन्होँने जीवन की ऐसी अनुभूतियोँ को वाणी दी, जिनको छूने का साहस, जिनको कहने का साहस, लोगोँमेँ नहीँ था. यह केवल अभिव्यक्ति नहीँ थी, यह केवल प्रेषण नहीँ था, यह उद्`बोधन यानी जिन अनुभूतोयोँ से कवि गुजरा था, उहेँ औरोँ से अनुभूत करा देना था ! नरेन्द्र जी की कविताएँ प्रकृति - सँबँधी भी हैँ ..एक बात मेँ मुझे नरेन्द्रजी से ईर्ष्या थी, वह यह कि जब मैँ केवल गीत ही लिख सका, ये खँडकाव्य भी लिखते रहे और कथाकाव्य मेँ भी इनकी रुचि प्रारम्भ से रही है. मैँ अपनी शुभकामनाएँ इनको देता हूँ , आशीर्वाद देता हूँ और उनसे स्वयम्` , ब्राह्मण ठहरे, आशीर्वाद चाहता हूँ कि भई, मुझे भी ऐसी उम्र दो कि तुम्हारा वैभव और तुम्हारी उन्नति देखता रहूँ !( पँडित नरेन्द्र शर्मा की " षष्ठिपूर्ति " के अवसर पर डा. हरिवँश राय बच्चन के भाषण से साभार उद्`धृत )Link : http://www.anubhuti-hindi.org/gauravgram/narendrasharma/index.htm
http://www.lavanyashah.com/2007/11/blog-post_28.html'Ganga Behti ho kyun ?  ' written by Pandit Narendra Sharma was sung by the  son Assam Late Shri Bhupen Hazarika ji .

FLASH BACK :Janab Sadiq ali  writes, ' I greatly cherish my brief but intimate association with Narendra Sharma. He was with me in the A.I.C.C. Secretariat at Allahabad in the late thirties. http://antarman-antarman.blogspot.com/2006/12/some-flash-back.html

२ कविताएँ : 

चलो हम दोनों चलें वहां

भरे जंगल के बीचो बीच,
न कोई आया गया जहां,
चलो हम दोनों चलें वहां।
जहां दिन भर महुआ पर झूल,
रात को चू पड़ते हैं फूल,

बांस के झुरमुट में चुपचाप,

जहां सोये नदियों के कूल 

हरे जंगल के बीचो बीच,

न कोई आया गया जहां,
चलो हम दोनों चलें वहां।

विहंग मृग का ही जहां निवास,
जहां अपने धरती आकाश,
प्रकृति का हो हर कोई दास,
न हो पर इसका कुछ आभास,
भरे जंगल  के बीचो बीच,
न कोई आया गया जहां,
चलो हम दोनों चलें वहां।

आषाढ़ 

~~~~~~

पकी जामुन के रँग की पाग

बाँधता आया लो आषाढ़!

अधखुली उसकी आँखों में

झूमता सुधि मद का संसार,

शिथिल-कर सकते नहीं संभाल

खुले लम्बे साफे का भार,

कभी बँधती, खुल पड़ती पाग,

झूमता डगमग पग आषाढ़

सिन्धु शैय्या पर सोई बाल

जिसे आया वह सोती छोड़,

आह, प्रति पग 'अब उसकी याद

खींचती पीछे को, जी तोड़

लगी उड़ने आँधी में पाग

झूमता ड़गमग पग आषाढ़!

हर्ष विस्मय से आँखें फाड़

देखती कृषक सुतायें जाग,

नाचने लगे रोर सुन मोर

लगी भुझने जंगल की आग

हाँथ से छुट खुल पड़ती पाग,

झूमता डगमग पग आषाढ़!

ज़री का पल्ला उड़ उड़ आज

कभी हिल झिलमिल नभ केबीच,

बन गया विद्युत द्युति, आलोक

सूर्य शशि उडु के उर से खींच!

कौंध नभ का उर उड़ती पाग,

झूमता डगमग पग आषाढ़!

उड़ गयी सहसा सिर से पाग-

छा गये नभ में घन घनघोर!

छुट गई सहसा कर से पाग-

बढा आँधी पानी का जोर!

लिपट लो गई मुझी से पाग,

झूमता डगमग पग आषाढ़!

रचनाकार:

- पंडित नरेंद्र शर्मा

Pandit Narendra Sharma passed away on Feb. 11th 1989. 

in an article Snehal B. Oza writes :

  http://www.giitaayan.com/atmjh/148.html

' Today is Pandit Narendra Sharma's  death  anniversary. 
 Poet  par excellence,  as  he  was,  who wrote gems like 'Baandh Priti Phul
Dor', 'Aise Hain Sukh Sapan Hamaare' ,  
'Man  Mor  Hua  Matwala',
'Nain  Diwaane  Ik  Nahi Maane',
'Jyoti Kalash Chhalke', 
"Panchhi Aur Pardesi Dono Nahi Kisi Ke Meet' etc.etc. 

 He belonged to a  class  of  poets  to  have  blessed  the  film industry  that  included besides  him at the top there people like Kedar Sharma, Pradeep, Sarawati Kumar "Deepak",  Pt.  Bharat Vyas,  Pt.  B  C  Madhur,  Pt. Indra and others, carving a way of their own, using "shudhdh hindi".

I believe,  what  Panditji  has achieved  is  matched  by  very few. 

To reach at the bottom of an ordinary man's heart with such a clear and high class quality  in poetry 

shows class of a maestro.'

I thank ALLwho stop by here for this opportunity to share my thoughts for reading my humble Tribute 

- लावण्या