Madhushala

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Madhushala (Hindi: मधुशाला) (The Tavern/The House of Wine), is a book of 135 "quatrains": verses of four lines ("Ruba'i) by Hindi poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan (1907-2003), father of the actor Amitabh Bachchan. The highly metaphorical work is still celebrated for its deeply Sufi incantations and philosophical undertones ^[1] and is an important work in the Chhayavaad (Hindi: छायावाद) (Shadowism) literary movement of early 20th century Hindi literature.

All the rubaaiaa (the plural for rubaai) end in the word madhushala. The poet tries to explain the complexity of life with his four instruments, which appear in almost every verse: madhu, madira or haala (wine), saaki (server), pyaala (cup or glass) and of course madhusala, madiralaya (pub/bar).

First published in 1935, the work got Harivanshrai Bachchan instant fame, especially when his own recitation of the poems became a craze at kavi sammelans (Poetry symposiums) ^[2] ^[3], the book still sells briskly: the present publisher of the book regularly releases 2 to 3 editions every year. When first published, it met criticism from many people for its apparent praise of alcohol. As noted in Bachchan's autobiography, after listening to the poems, Mahatma Gandhi stated that these criticisms were unwarranted.

Madhushala was part his trilogy inspired by the Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat, which he had earlier translated into Hindi, other titles in the trilogy were, Madhubala (मधुबाला) (1936) and Madhukalash (मधुकलश) (1937) ^[3].

1 Excerpts
2 Madhushala in Media
3 Text
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Excerpts

धर्मग्रन्थ सब जला चुकी है, जिसके अंतर की ज्वाला,
मंदिर, मसजिद, गिरिजे, सब को तोड़ चुका जो मतवाला,
पंडित, मोमिन, पादिरयों के फंदों को जो काट चुका,
कर सकती है आज उसी का स्वागत मेरी मधुशाला।।१७।

One whose inner fire has burnt all holy books/ One who has demolished all religious places - temple, mosque or church/ One who has cut himself free of the clutches of the pandit, imam and priest/ He alone is today welcome in my Madhushaala. - 17

लालायित अधरों से जिसने, हाय, नहीं चूमी हाला,
हर्ष-विकंपित कर से जिसने, हा, न छुआ मधु का प्याला,
हाथ पकड़ लज्जित साकी को पास नहीं जिसने खींचा,
व्यर्थ सुखा डाली जीवन की उसने मधुमय मधुशाला।।१८।

बने पुजारी प्रेमी साकी, गंगाजल पावन हाला,
रहे फेरता अविरत गति से मधु के प्यालों की माला'
'और लिये जा, और पीये जा', इसी मंत्र का जाप करे'
मैं शिव की प्रतिमा बन बैठूं, मंदिर हो यह मधुशाला।।१९। ^[4]

मुसलमान औ' हिन्दू है दो, एक, मगर, उनका प्याला, एक, मगर, उनका मदिरालय, एक, मगर, उनकी हाला, दोनों रहते एक न जब तक मस्जिद मन्दिर में जाते, बैर बढ़ाते मस्जिद मन्दिर मेल कराती मधुशाला!।५०।

The Muslim and the Hindu are different, but they drink out of the same cup/ They drink at the same tavern, their wine is also the same/ They remain together so long as they stay away from the temple or mosque/ The temple and the mosque divide but the tavern only unites. - 50.

[edit] Madhushala in Media

Over the years, the text has been choreographed and performed by celebrated dancers ^[3], a recording of selected Rubaai from Madhushala was released by HMV, where twenty stanzas were chosen and sung by Manna Dey, while the first one was sung by Bachchan himself. The music was composed by Jaidev ^[5], his son actor Amitabh Bachchan has read the verses on several occasions, most notably at Lincoln Center, New York City ^[6].

[edit] Text

Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, in Hindi, Hind Pocket Books, 1999. ISBN 81-216-0125-8.
Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Penguin Books, 1990. ISBN 0140120092.