Mahadevi Varma

Mahadevi Varma (26 March 1907 – 11 September 1987) was an Indian Hindi-language poet, essayist, and short-story writer. She is regarded as one of the four major pillars of the Chhayavaad movement in Hindi literature.

Mahadevi Varma PB PV
Mahadevi Varma
Born	(1907-03-26)26 March 1907 Farrukhabad, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
Died	11 September 1987(1987-09-11) (aged 80) Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Occupation	Poet, essayist, short-story writer
Alma mater	Allahabad University
Literary movement	Chhayavaad
Years active	1930–1987
Notable works	Yāmā Deepshikha Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan Mera Parivar
Notable awards	1956 Padma Bhushan 1982 Jnanpith Award 1988 Padma Vibhushan
Spouse	Swarup Narain Varma
Signature

Between 1930 and her death in 1987, Varma published seven collections of poetry along with several works of prose, including essays and speeches, with her final poetry collection published posthumously. Her writings reflect experiences from both pre- and post-Partition India, as well as her involvement in social reform, particularly in support of the women's liberation movement.

Literary critics have referred to her as the "modern Meera." The poet Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirālā' described her as "Sarasvati in the vast temple of Hindi literature."

Varma developed a softer poetic diction in Khari Boli Hindi, which had previously been associated mainly with Braj Bhasha. She was also trained in music, and her compositions are noted for their expressive language and stylistic refinement.

Scholars and literary historians consider her to be one of the most influential female writers of the twentieth century. Her birth centenary was celebrated in 2007, and in 2018, Google honoured her with a Google Doodle.

Life and education

Early life

Mahadevi Varma was born on 26 March 1907, in a Hindu Chitraguptavanshi Kayastha family from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Govind Prasad Varma, was a college professor in Bhagalpur. Her mother, Hem Rani Devi, was deeply religious, vegetarian, and had a keen interest in music. Varma's mother spent hours reciting the Ramayana, Gita, and Vinay Patrika. Her father was a scholar, music lover, atheist, and hunting enthusiast. Poets Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirālā' and Sumitranandan Pant were close friends of Varma. She reportedly tied a rakhi to Tripathi annually for forty years.

Education

Varma was originally enrolled in a convent school, but following her objections, she transferred to Crosthwaite Girls' College in Prayagraj (then Allahabad). According to Varma, she learned the value of unity while staying in the hostel at Crosthwaite, where students of different religions lived together. She initially wrote poetry in secret, until her roommate and senior, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (known in the school for writing poems), discovered her hidden stash of poems.

While others used to play outside, Subhadra and I used to sit on a tree and let our creative thoughts flow together... She used to write in Khariboli, and soon I also started to write in Khariboli... this way, we used to write one or two poems a day...

— Mahadevi Varma, Smriti Chitra (Memory Sketch)

She and Subhadra would also send poems to various publications, including weekly magazines, and managed to get some of their poems published. The budding poets also attended Kavi Sammelan (poetry seminars), where they met eminent Hindi poets and read their poems to the audience. This partnership continued until Subhadra graduated from Crosthwaite.

In her childhood memoir, Mere Bachpan Ke Din (My Childhood Days), Varma wrote that she was fortunate to be born into a liberal family, especially at a time when girls were often considered a burden to their families. Her grandfather intended for her to become a scholar, but he also insisted that she follow tradition and marry at the age of nine. Her mother, who was fluent in both Sanskrit and Hindi and deeply religious, inspired Varma's interest in writing and literature.

Personal life and death

Although married in childhood, Varma refused to cohabit with her husband, Swarup Narain Varma, after her graduation in 1929, objecting to his hunting and meat-eating habits. Her father offered to convert along with her to another religion to legally secure a divorce (as divorce was not legally permissible for Hindus at the time), but she declined and chose to remain single. She also unsuccessfully tried to convince her husband to remarry. Varma later considered becoming a Buddhist nun but ultimately decided against it, though she continued to study Buddhist Pali and Prakrit texts as part of her master's degree.

Varma spent most of her life in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), where she lived independently. She died there on 11 September 1987.

Professional career

Varma began her career as a teacher and later became the principal of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth. She was also an accomplished painter and translator. Over her career, she received several of the highest literary awards in India.

Literary career

Varma's debut poetry collection, Nihar, was published in 1930. This was followed by Rashmi in 1932 and Neerja in 1933. In 1936, her collection Sandhya Geet was published. In 1939, her first four poetry collections were compiled and published with her own illustrations under the title Yāmā.

In addition to poetry, Varma was a prominent essayist and memoirist. Her notable prose works include Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan (Series of Links; 1942), Smriti ki Rekhaye (Sketches from Memory; 1943), Path ke Sathi (Path's Companions; 1956), Ateet Ke Chalchitra (Scenes from the Past; 1961), and Mera Parivar (My Family; 1972).

Women's advocacy

Mahadevi Varma (on right) receiving the Jnanpith Award from then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1982

Varma is regarded as one of the pioneers of feminism in India. Throughout her career, her work in writing, editing, and teaching significantly advanced the development of Prayag Mahila Vidyapeeth in Allahabad. Serving as its principal was considered a milestone in women's education at the time. In 1923, she took over editorship of the prominent Hindi women's magazine Chand. In 1955, Varma established the Sahitya Sansad (Literary Parliament) in Allahabad with the assistance of Ilachandra Joshi, editing its official publication. She also pioneered women poets' conferences in India, establishing a platform for female writers. Varma was deeply influenced by Buddhism. Under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi, she engaged in public service and participated in the Indian independence movement, particularly in Jhansi.

In 1937, Varma built a cottage in Umagarh, a village near Ramgarh (about 25 km from Nainital), and named it Meera Mandir (Meera Temple). There, she worked closely with the local villagers, focusing on women's education and economic self-sufficiency. Today, this cottage houses the Mahadevi Sahitya Museum. Her efforts to challenge social stereotypes and support women's independence earned her recognition as a dedicated social reformer and advocate for women's rights. Literary scholars have noted that her work emphasizes creative resolve and social transformation rather than personal anguish.

In her essay Stree Ka Patnitva (“The Wifehood of Hindu Women”), Varma compared traditional marriage to social subjugation, arguing that without political or financial independence, women are relegated to subservient roles as wives and mothers. Although her feminist critique is sometimes overshadowed by her poetic persona, her prose and poetry directly addressed gender issues. In the poem "Chah" (Desire), she explored themes of female sexuality, while her short story "Bibia" depicted the physical and emotional abuse suffered by women.

Works

Varma was a poet as well as a distinguished prose and story writer.

Poetry

• Nihar (1930)
• Rashmi (1932)
• Neerja (1933)
• Sandhyageet (1935)
• Deepshikha (1942)
• Pratham Ayam (1949)
• Saptaparna (1959)
• Agni Rekha (1988)

Several other poetry collections have been published that compile selected songs from the works listed above.

Prose

Selected prose works include:

• Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan (1942)
• Smriti ki Rekhaye (1943)
• Sansmaran (1943)
• Sambhasan (1949)
• Path ke Sathi (1956)
• Skandha (1956)
• Ateet Ke Chalchitra (1961)
• Mera Parivar (1972)
• Vivechamanak Gadya (1972)
• Himalaya (1973)
• Meera Aur Meera (1975) – a collection of speeches on Meerabai

Children's literature

Her compilations of children's poetry include:

• Thakurji Bhole Hai
• Aaj Kharidenge hum Jwala

Critical analysis

Mahadevi Varma's poetry has often been interpreted as deeply personal, especially in its exploration of emotional themes such as pain, longing, compassion, and spiritual yearning.

The prominent literary critic Ramchandra Shukla expressed skepticism about the reality of her poetic anguish, noting:

Concerning this anguish, she has revealed such sensations of the heart as are otherworldly. As for how real these sensations are, nothing definite can be said.
(English translation)

In contrast, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi viewed Varma's poetry as a collective reflection of human emotion. He argued that her poetic expression of pain was not confined to individual sorrow but symbolized universal human experiences.

Poems such as "Deep" (from *Nihar*), "Madhur Madhur Mere Deepak Jal" (from *Neerja*), and "Mom Sa Tan Gal Chuka" are frequently cited as representative of Varma's introspective and reflective tone. These works align with the aesthetic and thematic concerns of the Chhayavaad literary movement.

Literary scholar Satya Prakash Mishra offered a philosophical reading of Varma's role in redefining Chhayavaad:

Mahadevi not only distanced herself from the earlier mystical and object-centered constructs of Chhayavaad, but also reshaped it through humanistic rationalism. Her poetry marked a shift in sensation and expression, focusing not on mere sentiment or devotion, but on the character, essence, and evolution of Chhayavaad itself.
(English translation)

American novelist and translator David Rubin praised her distinctive poetic voice and technical finesse:

What arrests us in Mahadevi's work is the striking originality of the voice and the technical ingenuity that enabled her to create, through a series of mostly short lyrics across five volumes, a consistently evolving representation of total subjectivity measured against the vastness of cosmic nature. There is little direct human interaction—only metaphorical acts like weeping, walking the road, or playing the Veena.

Writer and critic Prabhakar Shrotriya rejected the notion that Mahadevi Varma should be seen solely as a poet of sorrow and despair. He wrote:

In fact, the core of Mahadevi's creative force is not tears but fire. What appears on the surface is not the ultimate truth; the invisible realm is the true source of her inspiration. Her tears are not of ordinary sadness, but the result of internal storms—of thunder, rebellion, and fierce inner flame.
(English translation)

In the scholarly paper Ethical Literary Criticism of the Pain Emotion in Mahadevi Varma's Poetry, researcher Li Yalan examined how critics have interpreted Varma's focus on suffering. While acknowledging the spiritual and metaphysical tone of her poetry, Li noted that many critics view her portrayal of pain as more symbolic or lyrical than literal. Some also argue that her melancholic tone feels somewhat anachronistic or disconnected from the historical realities of her time.

Despite these debates, Varma remained deeply engaged with the social and political issues of her time. During the Bengal famine of 1943, she published a poetry collection that included the piece Banga Bhu Shanth Vandana. Similarly, in response to the Sino-Indian War, she edited a patriotic poetry collection titled Himalaya.

Honors and awards

Commemorative postal stamp released in 1991

• 1956: Padma Bhushan
• 1979: Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
• 1982: Jnanpith Award for her poetry collection Yāmā.
• 1988: Padma Vibhushan

In 1959, the Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen directed the Bengali film Neel Akasher Neechey (Under the Blue Sky), which was based on her sketch "Cheeni Feriwala" (The Chinese Peddler, also known by its character's name "Woh Chini Bhai") from Smriti ki Rekhaye. On 14 September 1991, the Postal Department of the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp of ₹2 in her honor, alongside Jaishankar Prasad.

Literary contributions

Mahadevi Varma (bottom row, third from left), along with Hazari Prasad Dwivedi and others

Varma's literary career began during a period when the linguistic structure of Khari Boli Hindi was being refined. She introduced the melodic softness of Braj Bhasha to Khari Boli poetry, crafting songs that reflected her engagement with Indian philosophy. Her style was marked by rhythmic simplicity and the use of natural symbols and vivid imagery.

Within the Chhayavaad movement, Varma's contribution is considered distinct. While Jaishankar Prasad lent naturalization to Chhayavadi poetry, Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirālā' infused it with a sense of liberation, and Sumitranandan Pant brought aesthetic delicacy, Varma's work embodied emotional depth and vitality. Her poetry is defined by emotionalism and an intensity of feeling that captures subtle shifts of the human heart. She was also highly regarded for her public speeches in Hindi, which were noted for their compassion and directness. She served as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the third World Hindi Conference in Delhi in 1983.

In addition to her original works, Varma was a translator. In Saptaparna (1980), she translated and analyzed 39 selected works of classical Sanskrit and ancient Indian poetry. In her 61-page introduction, "Apni Baat", she provided historical and literary context on the Vedas, Ramayana, and Theragatha, alongside works by classical writers like Aswaghosh, Kalidas, Bhavabhuti, and Jayadeva. This work helped bridge ancient Indian intellectual traditions with modern Hindi literature.

Works in English translation

Many of Mahadevi Varma’s works—particularly her prose writings—have been translated into English, both in full volumes as well as anthologies.

Prose translations

• A Pilgrimage to the Himalayas and Other Silhouettes from Memory (1975), translation of Smriti ki Rekhayen by Radhika Prasad Srivastava and Lillian Srivastava. This work was included in the Indian series of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.
• Sketches from My Past: Encounters with India’s Oppressed (1994), selections from Ateet ke Chalchitra, translated by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, published by Northeastern University Press.
• Links in the Chain (2003), translation of Shrinkhala ki Kadiyan by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, a collection of Varma’s essays on Indian women.
• Political Essays on Women, Culture, and Nation (2010), edited by Anita Anantharam (Cambria Press), comprises major political essays and selected poems, translated by Francesca Orsini and Vasudha Dalmia, among others.
• My Family (2021), translation of Mera Parivar by Ruth Vanita, published by Penguin India.
• Portraits from Memory (2025) by Ruth Vanita, published by Harper Perennial India, an imprint of Harper-Collins India, brings together Smriti ki Rekhaye and Ateet ke Chalchitra in a single memoir volume.

Poetry translations

Translations of Mahadevi Varma’s poetry have appeared in a few editions. Selected Poems: Mahadevi Varma (1987), translated by L.S. Sinha, was among the earliest stand-alone English editions of her poems. David Rubin included substantial selections of her work in The Return of Sarasvati: Four Hindi Poets (1998) and in Of Love and War: A Chhayavad Anthology (2005). Beyond these, a few poems have been translated into various journals. Notable appearances include The Illustrated Weekly of India, Hindi Review (the English organ of the Nagari Pracharini Sabha), Indian Literature published by the Sahitya Akademi, and Modern Indian Literature: An Anthology edited by K.M. George.

See also

• Chhayavaad
• Jaishankar Prasad
• Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirālā'
• Sumitranandan Pant

References

Sources

• Varma, Dhirendra (1985). हिन्दी साहित्य कोश (in Hindi) (3rd ed.). Varanasi: Jñānamaṇḍala.
• Singh, Rajkumar (2007). विचार विमर्श — महादेवी वर्मा: जन्म, शैशवावस्था एवं बाल्यावस्था (in Hindi). Mathura Anita: Sagar Publications.
• Pandeya, Gangaprasad (2020). Mahapran Nirala. Rajkamal Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-267-3099-5.
• Anantharam, Anita (2010). Mahadevi Varma - Political Essays on Women, Culture and Nation. Cambria Press. ISBN 978-1-62196-880-1.
• Varma, Maha Devi (1994). Sketches from My Past: Encounters with India's Oppressed. Translated by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni. Northeastern University Press. ISBN 978-1-55553-198-0.

Further reading

• Rosenstein, Ludmila L. (2004). New Poetry in Hindi: Nayi Kavita - An Anthology. Anthem Press. ISBN 978-1-84331-125-6.
• Gupta, Indra (2003). India's 50 Most Illustrious Women. Icon Publications. ISBN 978-81-88086-03-0.
• Schomer, Karine (1998). Mahadevi Varma and the Chhayavad Age of Modern Hindi Poetry. New Dehi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-564450-0.
• Singh, Doodhnath (2009). Mahadevi. Rajkamal Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-267-1753-8.
• Varma, Mahadevi (2007). Nirmala Jain (ed.). महादेवी साहित्य (Complete Works of Mahadevi Varma). Vol. 3. Vani Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8143-680-1.

External links

• Mahadevi Varma Jivan Parichay (Hindi Jivan Parichay)
• Works by Mahādevī Varmā at Google Books
• "Mahadevi Verma - कवयित्री जीवन और लेखन" on YouTube
• Mahadevi Varma at Kavita Kosh Archived 8 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine (Hindi)
• Mahadevi Varma at Anubhuti
• Mahadevi Varma | Kavishala Sootradhar