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Texts

Nineteenth-century prose

Chandrakāntā by Devaki Nandan Khatri (selection from the novel) Urdu
Premsāgar by Lallulal (selection)
Literary criticism by Bhartendu Harishchandra, “Hindī bhāshā” and “Urdū kā syāpā”

Twentieth-century prose

“Sadgati” by Premchand
“Dudh kā dām” by Premchand Urdu
“Urdū, Hindī, aur Hindūstānī” by Premchand Urdu
“Malbe kā mālik” by Mohan Rakesh
“Tanāv” by Rajendra Yadav
“Dillī mẽ ek maut” by Kamleshwar
“Paccīs caukā deṛh sau” by Omprakash Valmiki
Apne-apne pinjare by Mohandas Naimishray Urdu
“Lājwantī” by Rajinder Singh Bedi Urdu

Poetry

Two Braj Bhasha poets:
  • Kabir Urdu
  • Rahim Urdu
Selections from Braj works: The Chayavad movement, with
  • Selection from the critical essay “Kalpnā ke kānan kī rānī” in Chāyāvād by Namwar Singh
  • “Vishva chavi” by Sumitranand Pant
  • Nīrajā by Mahadevi Varma (selection)
Old Avadhi texts: selections from
  • the Rāmcaritmānas of Tulsīdās
  • the Madhumālatī of Manjhan

Two Braj Bhasha Poets:
Kabir and Rahim

Kabir

This selection of popular dohās (couplets) attributed to Kabir (fl. 1450) exhibits the homely didactism of sant poetry—Kabir’s poetry is often called vāṇī (sayings, teachings) for good reason. As with Rahim and other masters of the dohā meter, we admire the poet’s ability to get his message across with conciseness and drama.

-Allison Busch

PDF availableThe texts and glossaries are available as PDF files in Devanagari script and Nastaliq script. The nastaliq version is adapted from this website.Nastaliq (Urdu script) text available

Rahim

This selection from the dohāvalī (collection of couplets) of Rahim (c. 1600) serves as a brief introduction to the muktaka (freestanding verse) tradition of Brajbhasha poetry. Master poets are able to offer a pithy aphorism, lament a lover’s absence, and even telescope an entire story into the space of just two lines.

-Allison Busch

PDF availableThe texts and glossaries are available as PDF files in Devanagari script and Nastaliq script.Nastaliq (Urdu script) text available

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This site last updated by Justin Ben-Hain on 5 November 2013.