Kis Tarah Aakhirkar Main Hindi Mein Aaya (किस तरह आखिरकार मैं हिंदी में आया) — अध्ययन नोट्स

1. Introduction

"Kis Tarah Aakhirkar Main Hindi Mein Aaya" (How, in the End, I Came to Hindi) is a deeply personal autobiographical essay written by Shamsher Bahadur Singh, one of the most distinguished modern Hindi poets. The lesson is part of the Kshitij Bhag 1 textbook of NCERT Class 9 Hindi. In this essay, the poet tells the fascinating story of how he, born and raised in a family steeped in Urdu and Persian culture, and who first wrote poetry in Urdu, gradually and finally turned to Hindi as the language of his creative expression.

The essay is a journey of the soul. Shamsher Bahadur Singh writes with great honesty about his childhood, when the poetry of Urdu and the grandeur of Persian culture filled his home and his imagination. He recalls how he began writing verses in Urdu and how that language felt natural to him. Yet, through the influence of teachers, the reading of Hindi poets, and his own deepening understanding of society, he slowly realised that Hindi was his true mother tongue and the language through which he could best reach the people.

For students, this essay is precious on many levels. It shows that language is not just a means of speaking but a part of identity, history and emotion. It introduces the idea that great art is written in the language of the people. It also gives a rare glimpse into the cultural world of a great poet, showing how family, teachers, books and society together shape a writer's destiny. The essay is a wonderful example of autobiographical writing in Hindi.

2. About the Author

Shamsher Bahadur Singh (1911-1993) was a major modern Hindi poet, born in Lucknow in a family with a rich cultural heritage of Urdu and Persian learning. He was deeply influenced by both the romantic Chhayavad movement and the progressive movement in Hindi literature. His famous poetry collections include "Kuchh Kavitaen", "Kuchh Aur Kavitaen", "Chuka Bhi Nahin Hun Main" and "Itne Mein". Shamsher's poetry is known for its depth, its use of everyday language and its sensitivity to human emotion. Along with being a poet, he was also a fine essayist and translator, and he served in institutions like the National Book Trust. This essay, taken from his autobiographical writings, explains the cultural journey that made him a Hindi poet.

3. Summary of the Essay

The essay opens with the poet describing the world of his childhood and youth, which was dominated by the Urdu and Persian culture of his family. Urdu poetry was recited and loved in his home, Persian books filled his family's shelves, and the ghazals of great Urdu poets were the music of his soul. Naturally, when young Shamsher began to write, he wrote in Urdu. His early verses were in Urdu, and he imagined his future as an Urdu poet. For him, this language was the natural home of poetry and refinement.

The turning point came during his student days at Allahabad University. There he came under the influence of teachers who opened his eyes to the wider world of language and literature. One professor, after reading his Urdu verses and listening to him, told him that his future lay in Hindi - the language of the common people of his own region. This advice struck Shamsher deeply. At the same time, he began reading the great Hindi poets, such as the romantics of the Chhayavad era, and he discovered that Hindi too could carry the highest poetry and the deepest feelings.

Gradually, the pull towards Hindi grew stronger. Shamsher understood that while Urdu was the language of a cultured class, Hindi was the language of the masses - the language of the people whose lives and hopes he wanted to express. He realised that a writer belongs not only to his family's traditions but to his people and his land. With this understanding, he made the decisive choice to write in Hindi. The essay ends with the poet's reflection on this journey - a journey from a heritage of Urdu to the embrace of Hindi, and his quiet conviction that in choosing Hindi he had found his true literary home.

4. Characters

• The poet-narrator (Shamsher Bahadur Singh): The young man whose love of Urdu gradually gives way to a mature choice of Hindi.
• The family: Steeped in Urdu and Persian culture, they provide the poet's first literary world.
• The professor at Allahabad University: The teacher who tells the young poet that his future lies in Hindi.
• The Urdu poets and Persian classics: The literary tradition that first shaped the poet's imagination.
• The Hindi poets (Chhayavad): The writers whose works drew the poet towards Hindi.

5. Central Theme and Message

The central theme of the essay is the choice of a literary language and the cultural journey behind it. Shamsher Bahadur Singh shows how his love for Urdu, inherited from his family, gradually gave way to a mature understanding that his true literary medium was Hindi, the language of the masses. The essay reveals that a writer's language is not fixed at birth but can be chosen through reflection, influence and a sense of social responsibility.

The message of the essay is about identity, belonging and the purpose of literature. The poet teaches that art should be rooted in the life of the people, and that a true writer chooses the language that best carries his message to the largest number of human beings. At the same time, the essay honours the rich Urdu and Persian heritage that first shaped the poet, showing that cultural growth means adding new worlds without erasing the old. For students, the essay is a reminder to respect all languages and traditions while understanding the power of one's mother tongue.

6. Literary Elements

• Genre: Autobiographical essay.
• First-person narration: The poet tells his own story with honesty and feeling.
• Narrative structure: The essay follows the poet's journey in time - childhood, youth, college, decision.
• Reflective style: The poet pauses to examine his own feelings and decisions.
• Cultural descriptions: Vivid pictures of the Urdu-Persian literary world of his family.
• Climax: The professor's advice and the poet's eventual decision to write in Hindi.

Quick Revision Tables

Table 1: The Two Languages in the Poet's Life

Table 2: Stages of the Poet's Journey

Mind Map

Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: The Poet's Cultural Journey

Diagram 2: Forces that Led the Poet to Hindi

Common Mistakes

1. Students often think Shamsher Bahadur Singh was born writing in Hindi. He first wrote in Urdu and later chose Hindi.
2. A common error is to say he rejected Urdu completely. The essay shows he respected and loved his Urdu heritage while choosing Hindi for his writing.
3. Many students believe the essay is about grammar. It is about the poet's personal and cultural journey to Hindi literature.
4. Some learners forget the role of the teacher at Allahabad University, which is a key turning point in the essay.
5. Students sometimes confuse Shamsher Bahadur Singh with other poets of his time. He is a distinct modern Hindi poet from Lucknow.
6. Learners often miss the social message - that Hindi is the language of the common people, which is why the poet chose it.

Exam Tips

1. Begin answers with: "This is an autobiographical essay by the poet Shamsher Bahadur Singh about his journey from Urdu to Hindi."
2. In summary questions, follow the stages: Urdu-Persian childhood, early Urdu poetry, Allahabad and the professor's advice, reading Hindi poets, and the final choice.
3. In theme questions, discuss language as identity and the writer's bond with the people.
4. Mention the Chhayavad poets whose works drew him to Hindi.
5. Quote the professor's advice as a turning point when answering questions about his change of language.
6. Practise a long answer on "Why did Shamsher Bahadur Singh finally choose Hindi?" - a very common exam question.

Conclusion

"Kis Tarah Aakhirkar Main Hindi Mein Aaya" is a rare and moving account of a poet's journey to his true language. Shamsher Bahadur Singh's story - from the Urdu and Persian world of his family, through his early Urdu verses, to the guidance of a teacher and the discovery of Hindi's power - teaches us that a language is not merely a tool but a home for the soul. The essay shows that a writer's most important decision is to speak for the people in their own language. It is an inspiring lesson in identity, cultural heritage and the deep bond between a writer and his mother tongue.