Rajendra Keshavlal Shah
Encyclopedia
Rajendra Keshavlal Shah (Gujarati
: રાજેન્દ્ર શાહ) (January 28, 1913 – January 2, 2010) was a lyrical poet who wrote in Gujarati
. Born in Kapadvanaj, he authored more than 20 collections of poems and songs, mainly on the themes of the beauty of nature, and about the everyday lives of indigenous peoples and fisherfolk communities. In his poems using Sanskrit metrics, he was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore
.He was one of the giants of post Gandhi-era called 'Anu-Gandhi Yug' in Gujarati literature
.
Among his various professions, Shah was also a printer in Mumbai
, where he launched the poetry magazine Kavilok. The press itself became an important Sunday meeting-place for Gujarati poets. Apart from writing poetry, Shah also translated into Gujarati Tagore's poetry collection Balaaka; Jayadeva's
Gita Govinda
; Coleridge's
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
; and Dante's
The Divine Comedy
.
Shah won the Jnanpith — the Indian government's most prestigious literary prize — for the year 2001. The judges noted, "his intensity of emotion and innovation in form and expression which set him apart as a poet of great significance. The mystical tone of his poetry stems from the tradition of great medieval masters like Kabir
, Narsinh Mehta
and literary giants like them".
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
: રાજેન્દ્ર શાહ) (January 28, 1913 – January 2, 2010) was a lyrical poet who wrote in Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. Born in Kapadvanaj, he authored more than 20 collections of poems and songs, mainly on the themes of the beauty of nature, and about the everyday lives of indigenous peoples and fisherfolk communities. In his poems using Sanskrit metrics, he was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
.He was one of the giants of post Gandhi-era called 'Anu-Gandhi Yug' in Gujarati literature
Gujarati literature
The history of Gujarati literature may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, other than its composers...
.
Among his various professions, Shah was also a printer in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, where he launched the poetry magazine Kavilok. The press itself became an important Sunday meeting-place for Gujarati poets. Apart from writing poetry, Shah also translated into Gujarati Tagore's poetry collection Balaaka; Jayadeva's
Jayadeva
Jayadeva was a Sanskrit poet circa 1200 AD. He is most known for his composition, the epic poem Gita Govinda, which depicts the divine love of Krishna-an avatar of Vishnu and his consort, Radha, and it is mentioned that Radha is greater than Hari, and is considered an important text in the...
Gita Govinda
Gita Govinda
The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva, who was born in Kenduli Sasan near Puri in Orissa. It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha...
; Coleridge's
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98 and was published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads. Modern editions use a later revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss...
; and Dante's
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
.
Shah won the Jnanpith — the Indian government's most prestigious literary prize — for the year 2001. The judges noted, "his intensity of emotion and innovation in form and expression which set him apart as a poet of great significance. The mystical tone of his poetry stems from the tradition of great medieval masters like Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
, Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta also known as Narsi Mehta or Narsi Bhagat was a poet-saint of Gujarat, India, and a member of the Nagar Brahmins community, notable as a bhakta, an exponent of Hindu devotional religious poetry. He is especially revered in Gujarati literature, where he is acclaimed as its Adi Kavi...
and literary giants like them".
Poetry Collections
- Dhvani (1951)
- Andolan (1952)
- Shruti (1957)
- Morpinchh (1959)
- Shant Kolahal (1962)
- Chitrana (1967)
- Kshan je Chirantan (1968)
- Vishdne Sad (1968)
- Madhyama (1978)
- Udgiti (1979)
- Ikshana (1979)
- Patralekha (1981)
- Prasana Saptak (1982)
- Panch Parva (1983)
- Vibhavan (1983)
- Dwasupama (1983)
- Chandan Bhini and Anamik (1987)
- Aranyak (1992)
Awards
- Kumar Chandrak in 1947
- Ranjitram Suvarna ChandrakRanjitram Suvarna ChandrakRanjitram Suvarna Chandrak , also known as the Ranjitram gold medal was founded by Gujarat Sahitya Sabha and is considered the highest literary award in Gujarati literature...
in 1956 - Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964
- Mahakavi Nanatal prize in 1968
- Narmad Chandrak in 1977
- Aurobindo Suvarna Chandrak by Gujarati Sahitya ParishadGujarati Sahitya ParishadGujarati Sahitya Parishad is a literary institution for the promotion of Gujarati literature located in the city of Ahmedabad, India. It was founded by Ranjitram Mehta with an aim of creating literature appealing to all classes of the society and cultivate a literary sense among the people...
in 1980 - Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad award in 1985
- Dhanaji Kanaji Suvarna Chandrak in 1986
- Murdhanya Sahityakar Samman by Gujarat Sahitya Akademi in 1993
- Narasinh Mehta award in 1994
- Jnanpith in 2001