Works of Narmadashankar Dave

The Works of Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave (1833 – 1886), popularly known as Narmad, consist essays, poems, plays and other prose were published in collections by Gujarati. He is considered as the founder of modern Gujarati literature.[1][2][3]

He introduced many creative forms of writing in Gujarati. He wrote pioneering work in such forms as autobiography, poetry, lexicography, historical plays and research in folk literature. He was also an outspoken journalist and a pamphleteer. Narmad was a strong opponent of religious fanaticism and orthodoxy. He promoted nationalism and patriotism with famous songs like Sahu Chalo Jeetva Jang, wrote about self-government and talked about one national language, Hundustani, for all of India, nearly five decades before Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru. He wrote a poem Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat in which he listed with a sense of pride all the cultural symbols that go into constituting the Gujarati identity. These symbols include even the things non-Hindu, implying that Gujarat belongs to all the castes, communities, races, religions and sects that inhabit Gujarat. The poem is now state song of Gujarat. Mahatma Gandhi had acknowledged him for his philosophy of nonviolence.[1][4][5][6][7][8]

His major collected works are Narmagadya (Gujarati: નર્મગદ્ય), collection of essays; Narmakavita (Gujarati: નર્મકવિતા), collection of poems; Narmakathakosh (Gujarati: નર્મકથાકોશ), collection of stories of characters of mythological literature and Narmakosh (Gujarati: નર્મકોશ), dictionary. His Mari Hakikat, the first autobiography in Gujarati,[upper-alpha 1] was published posthumously.[upper-alpha 2]

Poetry

His Narmakavita:1-3 (1858), Narmakavita:4-8 (1859) and Narmakavita:9-10 (1860) were collected in Narmakavita:Book 1 (1962). Later Narmakavita:Book 2 (1863) was published. His all poetry were later collected in Narmakavita (1864).[2]

His poem, "Jai Jai Garavi Gujarat", (1873) is used as a de facto state song of Gujarat.[3]

Prose

His Rasapravesh (1858), Pingalpravesh (1857), Alankarpravesh (1858), Narmavyakaran Part I and II (1865), Varnavichar (1865), Nayika Vishaypravesh (1866) are his collections of essays on poetics with historical importance.[2]

Rituvarnan (1861), Hinduoni Padati (1864), Kavicharit (1865), Suratni Mukhtesar Hakikat (1865), Iliadno Sar (1870), Mahipatram Rupram Mehta (1870), Mahapurushona Charitra (1870), Mahabharatano Sar (1870), Ramayanano Sar (1870), Sarshakuntal (1881), Bhagvadgitanu Bhashantar (1882) are his prose works. His other writings between 1850 and 1865 collected in Narmagadya (1865) and posthumously published Narmagadya-2 (1936) are his other prose works. Mari Hakikat, his autobiography written in 1866 and published posthumously in 1933, is the first autobiography of Gujarati. Uttar Narmad Charitra (1939) was also published chronicling his later life.[2]

His essays are collected and edited in three volumes. They are Narmadgadya or Narmadashankar Lalashankarna Gadyatmak Granthono Sangrah (1875) edited by Mahipatram Rupram Nilkanth, Narmadnu Mandir-Gadya Vibhag (1937) edited by Vishwanath Bhatt and Narmadgadya(1975) edited by Gambhirsinh Gohil. His fifteen prose were collected in Junu Narmadgadya Part I, II (1865, 1874) are also important.[2]

He had researched and edited several works. Manohar Swami's Manhar Pad (1860), Narmakosh: Issue 1 (1861), Narmakosh: Issue 2 (1862), Narmakosh:Issue 3 (1864), Narmakosh:Issue 4 (1865). Narmakathakosh (1870), Dayaramkrut Kavyasangrah (1865), Stree Geet Sangrah (1870) of songs popular in Nagar Brahmin ladies, Premanand's Dashamskandh (1872) and the complete issue of Narmakosh (1873) are his edited and researched works.[2]

Tusli Vaidhvyachitra (dialogue, 1859), Rmjanaki Darshan (1876), Draupadidarshan (1878), Balkrishnavijay (1886), Krishnakumari are his plays and dialogues. His Seetaharan (1878) is unpublished play. Rajyarang Part I, II (1874, 1876) are his works on ancient and modern history of world. Dharmavichar is his work on philosophy. Gujarat Sarvasangrah (1887) and Kathiawar Sarvasangrah (1887) are his historical works.[2]

Mari Hakikat, his autobiography written in 1866 and published posthumously in 1933, is the first autobiography of Gujarati. His some notes and letters were published as Uttar Narmad Charitra (1939).[10][2][1]

List of works

The list is as follows:[1]

S.N.	Year of Publication	Name of the Publication
1	1850 - 51	Mandaii Malvathi Thata Labh
2	1856	Vyabhichar Nishedhak
3	1856	Muvan Pachhvade Rova Kutvani Ghelai
4	1856	Swadeshabhiman
5	1856	Nirashrit Pratye Shreemantna Dharma
6	1857	Pingal Pravesh
7	1857	Streena Dharma
8	1857	Guru ane Stree
9	1858	Narmakavita - 1,2.
10	1858	Alamkar Pravesh
11	1858	Rasa Pravesh
12	1858	Garibai Vishe Bhikharidasno Samvad
13	1858	Kavi ane Kavita
14	1859	Samp
15	1859	Vishayi Guru
16	1859	Guruni Satta
17	1859	Narmakavita - 3,4,5,6,7,8.
18	1860	Narmakavita - 9, 10.
19	1860	Dayaramkrut Kavyasamgrah
20	1860	Punarvivah
21	1860	Lagna tatha Punariagna
22	1860	Bhakti
23	1860	Sakar
24	1860	Manhar Pad (Manohar Swaminan Pad)
25	1859 - 63	Tulji Vaidhvya Chitra (In the form of a dialogue)
26	1861	Narma Kosh - I
27	1861	Rituvaman
28	1862	Narmakavita - Book 1 (Collection of Poems for the last seven years)
29	1862	Narma Kosh - 2
30	1863	Narmakavita - Book - 2
31	1864	Hinduoni Padti
32	1864	Narmakavita (Comprehensive volume)
33	1864	Dandio (The journal was begun)
34	1864	Narma Kosh - 3
35	1864	Ranman Pachhan Pagian Na Karva Vishe
36	1865	Narmagadya
37	1865	Kavicharitra
38	1865	Dayaramkrut Kavya Samgrah
39	1865	Narma Vyakaran Vol. I
40	1865	Suratni Mukhtesar Hakikat
41	1865	Narma Vyakaran Vol. 2. Part 1
42	1865	Narrna Kosh - 4
43	1866	Nayika Vishay Pravesh
44	1867	Mevadni Hakikat
45	1868	Sajivaropan
46	1868	Stree Kelavni
47	1868-69	Gujarationi Sthiti
48	1869	Kelavni Vishe
49	1869	Kul Motap
50	1869	Udyog tatha Vruddhi
51	1869	Sukh
52	1870	Ramayanno Sar
53	1870	Mahabharatno Sar
54	1870	Diadno Sar
55	1870	Narma Kathakosh
56	1870	Narma Kathakosh
57	1870	Nagar Streeoman Gavatan Geet
58	1872	Premanandkrut Dasham Skandh
59	1873	Narma Kosh (COMPLETE)
60	1874	Mahadarshan (Jagatna Pracheen Itihasnun Samagra Darshan)
61	1874	Rajyarang -1 (Jagatna Pracheen tatha Arvacheen Itihas)
62	1875	Premanandkrut Nalakhyan
63	1876	Ram Janaki Darshan
64	1878	Shree Draupadi Darshan Natak
65	1878	Seetaharan Natak (Unpublished)
66	1881	Shree Sarshakuntal
67	1886	Balkrishna Vijay Natak*
68	1886	Dharma Vichar
69	1889	Kathiawad Sarva Sangrah (posthumous)
70		Rajyarang - Vol. 2
71		Arya Darshan
72		Krishna Kumari Natak
73		Shreemad Bhagvad Geeta
74	1887	Gujarat Sarva Samgrah (posthumous)
75	1911	Desh Vyavahar Vyavastha
76	1933	Mari Hakikat (completed in 1866)

Works about Narmadashankar Dave

The list of works published about Narmad:[11]

S.N.	Year of Publication	Name of the Author or Publication
1	Kavijivan	Navalram Pandya
2	Veer Narmad	Vishwanath Bhatt
3	Narmad Shatabdi Granth	Mumbai Narmad Shatabdi Samiti
4	Kavi Narmad Shatabdi Smarak Chitravali	Gujarati Sahitya Parishad
5	Narmad: Arvachinoma Adya	K. M. Munshi
6	Narmadashankar Kavi	Ramnarayan V. Pathak
7	Narmad: Arvachin Gadya Padyano Adya Praneta	Ramnarayan V, Pathak
8	Navyugno Prahari: Narmad	Bhogilal Gandhi
9	Narmadashankar (in English)	Gulabdas Broker
10	Narmad: Ek Character (Humorous sketch of Narmad)	Vinod Bhatt
11	Society and Literature: Narmad in Critical Discourse	Rakesh Desai (ed.)

Adaptation

Narmad:Mari Hakikat or Narmad:My Life, a soliloquy based on his autobiography and life, was written and directed by Harish Trivedi while it was performed by Chandrakant Shah. It was premiered in Dayton, Ohio, US in 1995 and later toured India, UK, France.[12][13] It was critically acclaimed.[13]

Notes

1. In the 1840s, Durgaram Mehta had written his personal diary , Nityanondh but it was not an attempt of autobiography as in western style. Mahipatram Rupram had written a biography, Durgaram Charitra (1879) based on the diary.[9]
2. Narmad had written his autobiography in 1866 but he had requested it to be published posthumously. It was published in 1933, on his birth centenary. Two autobiographies were published before it, Hu Pote (1900) by Narayan Hemchandra and Satyana Prayogo (1925-1929) by Mahatma Gandhi.[10]

References

1. Dave, Narmadashanker Lalshanker (1994). "Apendix XII (Timeline of Life)". In Ramesh M. Shukla (ed.). Mari Hakikat (in Gujarati) (1 ed.). Surat: Kavi Narmad Yugavart Trust. pp. 183–184.
2. "નર્મદશંકર દવે (Narmadashankar Dave)". Gujarati Sahitya Parishad (in Gujarati). Retrieved 25 October 2016.
3. Bharat Yagnik; Ashish Vashi (2 July 2010). "No Gujarati dept in Veer Narmad, Hemchandracharya varsities". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
4. Saurabh Shah. "'ડાંડિયા', 'નર્મકોશ' અને જય જય ગરવી ગુજરાત". Mumbai Samachar (in Gujarati). Retrieved 13 August 2015.
5. "Biography of Narmadashankar Dave". poemhunter.com. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
6. "Poet Narmad". kamat.com. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
7. "Narmad, Gujarati Saraswats, Sangeet Bhavan". sangeetbhavantrust.com. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
8. "Gujarati Language, History of Gujarati Language". indianmirror.com. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
9. Amaresh Datta (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo. Sahitya Akademi. p. 527. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
10. Pandya, Kusum H (31 December 1986). Gujarati Atmakatha Tena Swarupagat Prashno. Thesis. Department of Gujarati, Sardar Patel University. Shodhganga web (in Gujarati). pp. 200–220. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
11. Broker, Gulabdas (1977). Narmadashankar. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. p. 86.
12. Kumar, Alok. "India Foundation, Dayton, OH". OoCities. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
13. "Narmad". Internet Archive. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-09-24. Retrieved 24 October 2016.