In Search of an Alternative Tradition (Doosari Parampara Ki Khoj)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

In Search of an Alternative Tradition (in Hindi, Doosari Parampara Ki Khoj, 1982) is the best-known book by Namwar Singh (1927-2019), who was the most highly esteemed literary and cultural critic of our times in Hindi. His fame had acquired a pan-Indian dimension as of few other critics in any Indian language, and over the last three or four decades, he was constantly invited to chair the juries of the highest literary awards, and to speak at conferences all over India, from Kashmir to Kozhikode (Calicut) and from Rajkot to Darjeeling.

The Complete Critic

This was despite the fact that he always spoke, as he wrote, in Hindi, out of principle rather than necessity for he did not lack knowledge of English. Nearly always, he spoke extempore, prompting several admirers to pay him the traditional high compliment that Saraswati seemed to reside on his tongue: jihvagre Saraswati. His originality, erudition, acute insights, aptness of formulation, wit, and his ability to think on his feet and to respond with clinching effect to other speakers, who shared a platform with him (what in Hindi and several other Indian languages is called pratyutpannamati), were a source of intellectual' enlightenment as well as exhilaration to all levels of listeners from whichever discipline.

I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to the following persons, who gave their valuable time, and encouraged me to complete this translation. Firstly, I am immensely grateful to Ira Raja, a professor in the Department of English at the University of Delhi. She patiently pointed out my mistakes and guided me with tenderness and care. I am also obliged to Anamika, who teaches English at Satyawati College (Evening). She lent emotional support and advised me on several issues to improve the quality of this translation. She oversaw the completion of this draft several times despite her several commitments. I remain indebted to the late Awadhesh Kumar Singh, professor, School of Translation Studies and Training, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), who gave his precious time to explain to me difficult shlokas in Sanskrit and poetry in Awadhi, and to Prof. Rajendra Prasad Pandey, the Director of School of Translation Studies and Training, IGNOU, for providing the script of his interview conducted with Namwar Singh in 1994. Harish Trivedi, the former head and professor at the Department of English, University of Delhi, has been my mentor. It is because of his valuable support and encouragement that I have come this far. Although I am neither Namwar Singh nor Krishna, Harish Trivedi is no less than Hajariprasad Dwivedi or Acharya Sandipani for me. His several commitments do not hold him back from showering gifts of knowledge and wisdom on me.

Like tradition, exploration or search is also a dynamic process. Even then, this journey of exploration has many stages. Unfortunately, this particular stage or juncture came when Panditji (Hajariprasad) passed away. This little book is a reflection on that stage; it is neither a criticism of nor an attempt to for the them if is anything, this work attempts to search for the revelation of that transformative vision in which a radiant tradition had flashed like a lightning. Whatever realisation I ha regarding this enlightenment, I have tried to put it down here. To what extent I have been successful is a question that can only be answered by Parampara Ki Doosari Kho ('Another Search of a Tradition'). The reader might also see my search for an alternative tradition in this work. I have tried not to write anything with a bias or what is not relevant. Hajariprasad himself, in his commentary on Meghdoot, acknowledges Mallinath, but he also took a few liberties in this respect. He was capable of this, but I dare not take such liberties. So, though something irrelevant might have crept in unintentionally, as far as I am aware, I have not stated anything with a basis. That is why I have had to quote at each step. The excess of quotations might have led to a break in the flow, but it is better to provide evidence and hence a break in the flow should be pardonable. It is said that Walter Benjamin wanted to write an entire book of quotations. I wish I could have done the same!