Introduction

Nearly three years ago, I started a blog on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous Hindi poem, Madhushala. I abandoned it midway because the urgent overtook the important, and because I thought that not too many people were interested. However, over a period of time, at least seven people wrote to me asking me to either re-start or continue the postings. Encouraged by this, I decided to start afresh, and resolved to cover all the one hundred and thirty-five verses (plus the four Bachchan wrote as a postscript) of this beautiful poem.

Poetry is written by the poet, but it comes to life only when the reader enjoys it. In that enjoyment, the reader's personality plays a considerable part in defining and shaping the poem itself; in that sense, the reader and the poet share ownership of the poem. Therefore, much of what I will write about each of Bachchan's verses will be my own thoughts.

However, this does not mean that the reader should not attempt to discover what the poet intended to say. In fact, his enjoyment of the poem will not be comprehensive unless he tries to look into the poet's heart and mind. The reader, in other words, has to listen to the poet, ponder on the words, and then let the poem sink in. As it sinks, though, the reader's personality will shape the poem, and it will become his own as much as it is the poet's.

Bachchan's Madhushala offers ample scope for this experience. It is a poem about life, and uses the common metaphor of the tavern to represent it. Drinking wine (or, in general terms, alcohol) is the metaphor used to describe "engagement with life". The cupbearer is both the server and the temptress - she is the medium through which the mundane is "sold" to us all in daily life. The tavern cares not for any specific individual: it does not care how much you drink or how little; whether you get your "fair share" or are denied it. It is not, as is said in James:2 of God, a "respecter of persons". It lives on, gives all, keeps moving, and loves its customers.

Bachchan's poem could be described as a religious one - but is subscribes to a non-denominational religion. It is Buddhist in thought, particularly when it describes the sheer beauty of living in the moment. However, I'd not characterize it as a Buddhist poem; that would take away from the sheer originality of Bachchan's mind; his compassionate understanding of human foibles. It is a poem about you and me. Is is about God, or the Ultimate Truth, or about the condition of mankind. It is your story, and it is my story.

Precisely because it is a lofty poem, with deep philosophical import, it carries with it the threat that the reader would over-analyze it. We must remember that it is also very simple poem, and therein lies Bachchan's genius. When the truth of life is clearly seen, it does become very simple. Bachchan saw the truth, and described it simply. Our challenge is to understand the poem through its simplicity, and that is not a simple thing to do. We have to understand this poem through the heart, not through the head.

Which makes writing about it very difficult, because we can only communicate through words. Words are inadequate to describe deep understanding: we stand the risk of mistaking the map for the territory. Yet, we will try. As I write, and you, hopefully, read, and exchange notes, maybe we will reach an understanding of a bit of Truth now and then - have an "aha" moment. Only some of those moments we will be able to articulate. Others, we will simply experience together and not talk about. But we will know that we both understood when we see a gentle rustle of the leaves, and we will say,

"ye patton ki thi sarsaraahat, ya tumne chupke se kucch kaha?"

Later.

Mohan / GRS