A noted Urdu poet and author, who has translated the 700 verses of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita into over 1700 Urdu couplets says, the sacred scripture is the biggest literature on worldly education in the country.
"Urdu Shayari mein Gita" was released by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently.
Anwar Jalalpuri's book not only translates 'shlokas' (verses) in chaste Urdu 'shers' (couplets), but also comes across as an effort to recapture the essence of the sacred text.
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"The book is an effort to present the messages of worldly education of Lord Krishna in its spirit through simple Urdu couplets before the people," the author-poet told PTI.
Jalalpuri said as part of an effort to spread the spiritual messages in 701 verses of Gita to the readers, these have been presented in the form of 1761 couplets in his book.
The Gita is set in a narrative framework of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna.
Faced with the duty to fight his relatives and cousins, Arjuna undergoes a dilemma and inner conflict, to which Lord Krishna exhorts him to stop hesitating and fulfill his duty as a warrior.
Jalalpuri said while some verses were completed in a single couplet, others were spread in more couplets keeping in mind the "nazakat" (nicety) and "nafasat" (beauty) of Urdu poetry.
Referring to a Urdu couplet of shloka rendered by Lord Krishna to remove Arjun's hesitation in raising arms against his cousins and relatives, Jalalpuri said that probably Bhagwad Gita is the biggest scripture on worldly education in India.
"It preaches people not to leave the world, but to make it more beautiful and worthy through duty and talks about connecting the soul with the supreme power or God." he said.
Jalalpuri said his objective is to take the preachings of Gita to Urdu language readers and Muslims, who consider it as a pious scripture, but are totally unaware about what it says.
The book is published in Devnagari as well as in Persian script as both Hindus and Muslims have knowledge of the Urdu language.
"From this more and more people will be able to take advantage of the messages and preachings of Gita," he said, adding his objective is that people of both the communities should make some effort to know each other better.
Jalalpuri said he is deeply connected with the writings and incidents mentioned in the scripture.
"After resigning from the post of chairman of Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Board in 2008 I got free time during which I completed my passion (of working on the Gita)," he said.
Jalalpuri, who had no basic knowledge of Sanskrit language in which Gita is written, said he faced problems while translating it.
"To understand Gita and to convert it into Urdu poetry I had to work mentally and use research work," he said.
