Yāmā (poetry collection)

The title Yāmā is derived from the feminine plural of yām, a term referring to the four divisions of either the daytime or the night.^[1][2] The choice of title is symbolic, reflecting the poetic phases across the poet's four previous works — Nīhār (Mist, 1930), Raśmi (A Ray of Light, 1932), Nīrajā (Blossomed Lotus, 1933), and Sāndhyagīt (Twilight Song, 1936).^[3][4] In the preface to the book, the poet states:

Yāmā contains the shadow play of the four phases (yām) of my inner world. Whether these belong to the daytime or the night—this is not impossible for me to determine, but it is certainly difficult. If they are of the day, they did not tire my heart with toil to the point of yearning for rest; and if they are of the night, they did not allow me to lose my faith in the darkness. Therefore, to me, their value is equal—and shall always remain so.
(English translation)^[5][a]

The collection comprises 185 lyric poems in total, drawing 47 from Nīhār, 35 from Raśmi, 58 from Nīrajā, and 45 from Sāndhyagīt.^[6] Some early editions of Yāmā also included tipped-in pages featuring illustrations created by the poet herself, reflecting the stylistic influence of the Bengal School of Art.^[7][8] Additionally, the imprints by Kitabistan featured an introductory poem that combined a wash-style painting with Varma's handwritten text; this poem was omitted in later editions and other compilations of her work.^[9] The current edition by Lokbharti Prakashan contains only a reduced selection of 63 poems from the complete volume and excludes all artwork.^[10]

The collection reflects the central themes of Chhayavad, the literary movement to which Varma is attributed to. It explores motifs such as separation, yearning, existential melancholy, divine beloved, bond with nature, and the pursuit of spiritual transcendence.^[11][12]

The collection traces the evolving stages of the poet's emotional journey and poetic expression, moving from a state of wonder, confusion, and turmoil to one of contemplation, reflection, and ultimately, a serene acceptance of pleasure and sorrow.^[13][14]

Literary critic, Acharya Ramchandra Shukla, noted that the sorrow of separation from an unseen beloved evokes a rich spectrum of emotions. He admired the lyrical brilliance of the poetry, highlighting Varma's unmatched ability to craft songs that combined refined language, profound emotional resonance, and a distinctive expressive power. While acknowledging her poetic achievements, Shukla also reflected on whether the deeply personal and seemingly otherworldly emotions in her work arose from lived experience or were the product of poetic imagination.^[16]

Nand Dulare Bajpai observes that Varma's poetry draws significantly from the devotional and mystical traditions, particularly the saguṇa-sākāra mode—worship of the absolute with form. He characterizes her style as introspective and emotionally refined. Her poetic strength lies in her ability to express spiritual sorrow subtly, though he also notes that her use of abstract imagery can, at times, lead to obscurity. Drawing comparisons to poets such as Meera and Tagore, Bajpai highlights Varma's restraint, philosophical tone, and meditative quality as distinctive features of her work.^[17][18]

David Rubin, an American author and translator, observed Varma as the most elusive among the Chhayavadi poets^[b] and also the most challenging to translate, since the meaning in her work is inseparably bound to its subtle and allusive musicality. In her poetry, music itself becomes a vehicle of meaning, distinguishing her use of themes and images from that of the early Bhakti poets. Her writings, therefore, require from readers not only considerable patience but also an almost ecstatic immersion.^[19]

The Bhāratīya Jñānapīṭh on the occasion of Guru Purnima observed on July 24, 1983, announced Mahadevi Varma as the recipient of the 18th (1982) Jñānapīṭh Award.^[c] Shortly after the announcement, in an interview broadcast on Akashvani (AIR) with Agyeya, she expressed:

That which is offered belongs to Sarasvati and is dedicated only at her feet. To consider it one's own, or to attribute it to a person, is a kind of mistake. We can only be intermediaries. This is an offering at the feet of Sarasvati, and it is also the offering of those who have appreciated the work.
(English translation)^[20][d]

That year, the criterion for awarding moved away from honoring a single work. Although Yāmā is a single volume, it was recognized more as a representative collection reflecting Mahadevi Varma's literary contribution than as one standalone creation.^[21][e]

The award was presented on November 28, 1983, by the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who recited translated excerpts from Varma's poem Us Pār during the ceremony.^[22] The ceremony was also attended by P. V. Narasimha Rao, who was serving as India's Minister of External Affairs at the time and was also the Chairman of the Jñānapīṭh Selection Board.^[23][24] Varma donated the entire prize money of ₹1,50,000 to a fund she had established for the welfare of indigent writers and their families.^[25][26]

Several poems from Yāmā have been musically interpreted in both light and classical forms.^[27] In the 1970s, a selection of some poems was set to music by Jaidev and rendered by Asha Bhosle.^[28] The television channel DD Sahyadri aired a series titled Madhurima, one episode of which was devoted to a musical rendition of Varma's poetry.^[29][30] Dhrupad vocalists Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha have also composed and performed select poems from the collection.^[31][32] Additionally, contemporary poet Kumar Vishwas included songs from Yāmā in his musical album Tarpan, a derivative of his biographical series Mahakavi.^[33] An overview of such musical settings is given in the following table.

Selections from Yāmā were translated into English by L. S. Sinha and published in 1987 by Writers Workshop Kolkata.^[34] Additional English translations by the American writer David Rubin appeared in two notable anthologies: The Return of Sarasvati: Four Hindi Poets (1998) and Of Love and War: A Chhayavad Anthology (2005), both issued by Oxford University Press.^[19][35]

In addition to English translations, several poems from Yāmā have also been translated into Indian languages. A Bangla translation by Ujjal Singha, titled Mahadevi Racanā-Saṃcayan, was published in 2014 by the Sahitya Akademi. This collection includes selections from Yāmā as well as a few of her prose essays and memoirs.^[36] A Telugu compilation, Mahadevi Varma Gītalu, rendered by Chaganti Tulasi, was published in 2015 by Chaso Sphurti Publications.^[37] In Odia, a translation by Niharika Mallick, Mahādebī Barmāṅka Nirbācita Kabitā, was released in 2022 by Anubad Sahitya Parisad.^[38]

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• Hindi literature
• List of Hindi poets
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