Maithili Sharan Gupt, an eminent Hindi poet, was popularly known as Rashtrakavi. Author of the great epic ‘Saket’, Maithili Sharan Gupt started writing in the beginning of the present century under the spiring guidance of the doyen of Hindi literature, Pandit Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi. His great contribution to Hindi literature was that he moulded the modern Hindi language—Khadi Boli—a fit vehicle for literary expression.
Modern Hindi poetry owes him a great debt in that he paved the way for its growth and development and laid the foundation for its later achievements.
Born on August 3, 1886, at Chirgaon, near Jhansi, Maithili Sharan Gupt had to give up schooling in his early youth owing to impecunious family situation. However, he continued his studies at home and became thoroughly familiar with the vast treasure-house of Sanskrit literature.
He acquired a sound knowledge of Bengali and a few other Indian languages and was one of the earliest translators of Bengali poetry into Hindi. Thus, he gave Hindi literature a breadth of vision not known before.
Maithili Sharan’s first great contribution to Hindi literature was ‘Bharat Bharti’ published in 1912, which sang the glories of India. He wrote ceaselessely and produced nearly 50 books in his 60 years of literary creativity.
Though his long narrative poems, he re-interpreted the glory that was India in contemporary context. Of his poetical works, the best known is ‘Saket’. which relates the story of Ramayana in the contemporary situation.
A man of striking simplicity, sincerity and piety, and generous almost to a fault, Maithili Sharan Gupt was a great patriot. He served the National Freedom Movement with faith and devotion. When India became a Republic, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha and was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1954.
With the pasing away of Maithili Sharan Gupt on December 12, 1964, Hindi literature has lost one of its most dedicated students and servants.
