Rashmirathi

Rashmirathi (Rashmi: Ray of light Rathi: One who rides a chariot (not the charioteer) Rashmirathi: Rider of the chariot of light) is a Hindi epic written in 1952, by the Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar'. The epic poem narrates the story of Karna, who is regarded as one of main protagonists of the Hindu epic- Mahabharata.

About the poem
Karna was the first-born of Kunti. She abandoned him at birth, as he was conceived before her marriage. Karna was born due to a boon by the Surya Dev (The Sun God). Karna grew up in a family of charioteers and struggled to rise from a lowly charioteer to become a world conqueror and a hero of the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata War, Karna was obliged to fight on the side of Duryodhana, who recognized his abilities and worth. Duryodhana made him a king and accepted him as a close friend. Karna fighting on the Kaurava's side was a great worry for the Pandavas, as he was reputed to be unconquerable in war.

On the eve of the Mahabharata War, Kunti went to Karna and requested of him to defuse the war by leaving Duryodhana and coming over to the Pandavas' side, as he was her first born and it was only appropriate for him to fight on the side of the Pandavas. A part of Karna's reply in words of Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' is given below. Karna says that even as he foresees a defeat for Kauravas, he must fight from the side of Duryodhana. He says that the war is quite pointless yet it is his destiny that has to be fulfilled.

Adaptations
Hindi film "Gulaal" directed by Anurag Kashyap in 2009, has got a rendition of Dinkar's poem "Ye dekh gagan mujh mein lay hai(Part of "Krishna ki Chetavani")" from Rashmirathi chapter 3, performed by Piyush Mishra.

A musical play adaptation of "Rashmirathi" has been directed by Dr. Shakuntala Shukla and Vyomesh Shukla. This play gives a glance from the eyes of Kunti. This play is produced by the banner of "Roopvani, Varanasi". It has been performed 47 times till now.

The present Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi wrote a message appreciating the translation of Rashmirathi into English by the Mauritian cultural activist Leela Gujadhur Sarup by writing, "The story of 'a man blessed by the Gods but rejected by Destiny', Rashmirathi is the magnum opus of the Poet laureate of India, Ramdhari Singh, known to all as Dinkar. Reproducing its original in moving English poetry has been a labor of love for Mrs. Leela Sarup, taking her years to do it justice. This will enable a wider range of non-Hindi readers to savor the heart-wrenching lyrical poetry of Dinkar."