By: Suresh Chandra
Pragyan is a beautiful collection of fifty-one children’s poems by Dr.SatyavanSaurabh. Various colors of life can be seen in these poems- a vivid depiction of the joys of childhood, a touching description of children burdened with work due to financial constraints. Childhood is the golden period of life but not all children have the same privileges. The childhood of some children is crushed by the cruel hands of time. A glimpse of this struggle can be seen in one of the poems of the collection-
Get education on paper, only love in promises.
Sharing speeches, love, and affection on Children’s Day.
In search of two breads, he robs the world.
Crawling on the footpaths, carrying bags.
The first poem of the collection is ‘Bane SantanAdarshHamari’, in which a parent cherishes dreams for his upcoming child. How do parents want their children? The poet thinks about his upcoming child. Giving the example of our heroes, the poet says that his child should also incorporate their good qualities in life and follow the path shown by them. In this poem, our heroes and heroines have been depicted naturally. The poet believes that it is important for every common child to have our ideals –
If you have a son, he should be like Prahlad, he should follow the path of religion.
May he become as steadfast as the North Star and show the true path to everyone.
By giving birth to a daughter, I will light the flame of friendship, Gargi, and knowledge.
Let my children become ideal, I will teach them those things.
Children’s literature is children’s literature. In this, the tender feelings of children are taken care of. Children like entertainment, but the poet wants children to get information about life too. The poet also considers it his duty to make children aware of the inconsistencies prevalent around him. He wants to extend the sensitivity of children to the entire society. This emotional sentiment of the poet in the poem ‘Google Ki Aosh Mein’ is touching –
The phone has taken away all the joys from childhood.
Grandmother sat and watched the change in generation.
The mind yearns for things, wondering who is at home.
Everyone is sitting silent, holding the phone.
Children feel connected to nature. Natural scenes attract them a lot. The little child inside the poet also looks at these beautiful scenes of nature with fascination. ‘BachpankewohGeet’ is one such poem in which the poet has humanized childhood and depicts it’s changing form every moment in a very beautiful manner. The use of symbolic and figurative style is immediately visible –
Whenever I sit, I remember my childhood.
My mind started to wander, I started talking to fairies.
The phone has taken away all the joys from childhood.
Grandmother sat and watched the change in generation.
The child’s world revolves around the mother and the mother’s world consists of children. The mother herself wants to give every happiness to the child by enduring sorrow. ‘MaaHariyaliDoob’ is a small poem but in this poem, the poet has deeply expressed all the love for the mother –
What kind of feeling is hidden in your lap?
Mother, I sleep peacefully when you are near.
Mother is the mine of love, God on earth.
Praise the mother, the greatest of all.
Mother is the pivot of the family. The house runs smoothly only because of the mother’s sacrifice and dedication. While taking care of the comforts of the family members, the mother never pays attention to her happiness. In the poem ‘Aanchal Ki Chhaya’, a child shows his sincere sympathy towards this sacrificial form of his mother and says –
Mother is the embodiment of renunciation and sacrifice.
Shadow of Anchal, the sunshine of every crisis.
In this world, like a mother, Sujan is not Saurabh.
All the knowledge of Geeta is contained in her mother’s words.
The poet believes that we should accept changes easily. Elderly people have always been strong pillars of the family. The poet does not like his departure. After the departure of his grandparents, the poet’s life has become desolate, the poet imagines in various ways so that he remembers them all the time. The freshness of the poet’s imagination is visible in the poem ‘Grandfather and Grandfather’ –
Became grandparents, only now they complain.
Make the courtyard happy, and remember them constantly.
Cry, sing, and laugh, with grandparents.
Why did they leave the courtyard, life became an orphan.
In the poem ‘AnupamTyohar’ of this work, the poet expresses the importance of festivals and says that festivals are a storehouse of love and harmony. Festivals not only entertain us, but they also expand our experience by providing various types of information. Festivals, which provide healthy entertainment and education, are children’s true companions –
May there be an aura of life, “Teej” and “Festivals”.
Fill your mind with colors and infuse new life.
Through renunciation, penance, and chanting, the seeds of love grew.
May your wishes be fulfilled, and worship BhadoTeej.
The condition of the poet’s sensitivity is such that he sees the image of old people even in the old broom. The poet’s heart is pained by the neglect of the elderly. The tendency to throw away work is based on selfishness and narrow-mindedness. The poem ‘Vriddhi Ki HarBaatKa’ which teaches us to respect elders is wonderful –
Who takes care of everything about the elderly?
Under the guise of modernity, every house is in distress.
He is a very old man, and Saraswat respects him.
It is only from them that we get the knowledge of experience.
It is clear from the above examples that the main tone of the works of PragyanBalSangrah is human sensitivity and compassion. Flowing like a calm river, these poems drench the reader’s mind with waves of cool emotions. These works proceed with a light story, hence they also include the element of narrative which keeps the child’s mind engaged with curiosity till the end. These poems depict not only the children but also the working class of society struggling with deprivation. The purpose of all this is that the poet wants to protect the tender feelings of children and instill in them a feeling of sympathy toward their suffering.
These compositions written in verse are a mixed form of song and poetry. There is rhythm and flow in them which makes these poems impressive. The language is simple, interesting, and easily understandable according to the child’s mind. The printing is beautiful and error-free. The cover decorated with the charming picture of Pragyan with the expanding sky is very attractive. Hearty congratulations to Dr.SatyavanSaurabhji for creating a readable work ‘Pragyan’ adorned with entertaining and sensitive poems that appeal to children.
Name of the book: Pragyan
Author: Dr.Satyavan ‘Saurabh’
Genre: Children’s poetry
Publisher: Notion Publishing Group, Chennai.
Version: 2023
Price: ₹ 160/-
Page Number: 100
