Umashankar Jethalal Joshi: A Touchstone For Literary Taste

“Drink (the cup of) beauty, Heart will, then, flow singing automatically.” Climbing up to Mount Abu, the highest peak in the Aravalli mountain range, Joshi watched the moon and its reflection in the Nakki Lake. The autumnal full moon and the lake inspired Joshi to compose his first-ever published poetry after a pleasant excursion to the mountaintop. After this trip, his pen never ceased to amaze the readers.

Umashankar Jethalal Joshi. Illustration by Tarun Kumar

Throughout history and across culture, the natural environment has been a recurring theme in poetry, often even the main one. However, nature is difficult to define. Nevertheless, representing the natural world - its various landscapes, changing seasons, and surrounding events - has been closely linked to the evolution of poetry.

Perhaps nature was also the driving force behind Umashankar's poems. His excursions to the Aravalli ranges and frequent visits to the colorful monsoon fairs in and around Bamna deeply impacted his thoughts and language, and his "lyrical vein" became more prominent and developed.

Umashankar Jethalal Joshi, along with two friends, climbed Mount Abu, the highest summit in the Aravalli mountain range, to witness the moonrise over Nakki Lake. The autumnal fall moon and the lake inspired Joshi to write his first-ever published poetry after a pleasant excursion to the mountaintop. Joshi drew inspiration for his poems in college from the rustic setting in which he grew up.

Nakhee Sarovare Sarat Poornimaa (Autumnal Full Moon At Nakki Lake) is a poem published in a Gujarat college magazine, discussing composing poetry in a stanza.

Drink (the cup of) beauty Heart will, then, flow singing automatically.

Umashankar made his literary debut in Gujarat with Vishvashaanti. This poem was introduced by Kakasaheb Kalelkar and hailed by Narasinharao Divatia as one of the most significant wors that would usher in a new era in Gujarat literature.

Umashanka’sr distinct personality left a mark with its rare combination of refinement and poetic genius. In the contemporary literary world, he constantly searched for peace and harmony amidst the chaos of the world. Humanity played a pivotal role in his life, and he often tried to draw connections between human beings and nature.

Joshi excelled in many fields of literature but remained unsatisfied with his work, feeling that he had yet to touch the unseen corners of humanity. He referred to himself as a “Gurjar Bhaaratvaasee”, aspiring to be the “Universal Man”. In one of his early poems, he wrote:

Would I cease to be an individual and become a universal man With the sacred dust of Earth on my (bowing) head.

Crossing barriers of caste, creed, and country, he was indeed a true son of Mother Earth as a man and poet. When Gandhian ideas were quite popular in Gujarat and other parts of India, the real impact of it was felt when Umashankar stepped into the arena of literature. Not only Umashankar, but another poet named Sundaram also marked an increase in the popularity of Gandhian ideals.

In the first conference of Gujarati Lekhak Milan or Writers' Meet, Umashankar remarked: "We are twin brothers. In fulfilling our creative urge, the Gujarati language has perhaps conspired to tie us together at its very root without our knowledge of it."

Umashankar Jethalal Joshi was a literary giant, but tarnished his image when he first participated in a strike arranged by Gujarat college students. This was his first association with the Indiam National movement. Later on, when Joshi became a part of the Satyagraha movement, he was arrested by British officials and kept in Sabarmati Jail for fourteen weeks. He was later released due to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

While imprisoned in 1931, Joshi wrote his first poem, Vishwa Shanti. Vishwa Shanti. This lengthy poem "alludes to Gandhi's teachings and lifework," and illustrates the poet's belief that "even though Bapu's visit to the west is aimed towards Indian freedom,

it will carry the message of peace to the West more successfully than Independence to [Indian] Nation." Despite being deeply affected by Gandhi's life and teachings, Joshi never sought to be connected with Mahatma Gandhi personally or professionally.

Joshi was a pioneer of the Progressive Literature Movement, which he initiated in the 1940s. However, he later disassociated from progressivism and gave numerous reasons for doing so, including changes in political concerns as a result of World War II, the degradation of style and aesthetic qualities resulting from the progressive poetry in Gujarati headed by young poets.

Umashankar passed away in 1988, leaving behind a legacy of vibrant Gujarati literature, as evidenced by the many awards and accolades he received in his name.