The words of a Chhayavaadi

Flowing against the current became a distinctive mark of Nirala’s life and work. His contribution to Hindi literature is momentous and remains unparalleled.

The stamp released to commemorate "Niarala"; Source: Public Domain

Though he was born and brought up in Bengal, Suryakant Tripathi became a towering personality associated with Hindi literature. The influence of his works on Hindi literature and language serve true to his pen name, Nirala.

Life was not easy for Tripathi. A consistent string of misfortunes bound him till his death. Born on 21 February in 1896, he did not get a childhood that every child deserves; his father remained emotionally distant and even volatile, while his mother died while he was very young. Nirala was a student of Bangla but it was the beauty of Sanskrit that captured his bright mind. He became a regular at Kavi Sammelans and eventually shifted to his paternal village of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. A strong impression of thinkers and reformers like Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore is evident in his personal life and writings.

Nirala was happily married to his wife Manohara Devi but lady fate had something else for him. The death of his widow daughter followed the demise of his wife. Nirala was completely broken and filled with grief. As if things were not already difficult for him, financial problems made his life a struggle. Tripathi worked as a proof-reader and editor for various magazines to make ends meet. These problems topped with the problems that people had with his progressive views, deteriorated his mental health and eventually led to him developing schizophrenia.

While his personal life reminds of a sad tale, Nirala’s literary career climbed high to the stars.

His poems and stories remain the best specimens of Hindi literature as he pioneered the language’s Chhayavaad or neo-romantic movement.

His poems Dhwani, Janmabhumi, Jago Phir Ek Bar, and Bhikshuk are some of the most celebrated poems of modern times. Apart from doing wonders with poetry, Suryakant Tripathi also penned various stories and novels like Nirupama, Indulekha, Choti ki Pakad, and Sukul ki Biwi. His writings not only displayed the intricacies of Hindi as a language but carried a scathing critique of social orthodoxies.

Nirala remains immortal through his words. The ever-blooming essence of his writings can be perfectly captured in his own words from the poem Abhi Na Hoga Mera Ant:

Abhi na hoga mera ant

Abhi-abhi hi toh aaya hai

Mere man mein mridul vasant

Abhi na hoga mera ant