Pandit
Zinda Koul is a well-known poet of Kashmir. In Kashmir, his students and
friends used to call him 'Masterji'. He came to be called 'Masterji' because
he used to teach many Kashmiris, both in school as well as at his home.
He died in Jammu in the winter of 1965.
In the beginning 'Masterji'
did not write in only Kashmiri. He wrote poetry in Persian, Hindi, and
Urdu, as well. Masterji's poetry has been published in all these four
languages. However, he made his name by writing in Kashmiri.
His well-known book in
Kashmiri is Samran. It was first published in Devanagari, and later
the government had it printed in the Persio-Arabic script. The Sahitya
Academy of India gave Pandit Zinda Koul an award of five thousand rupees
for this book. Masterji received this award in 1956.
Masterji had to face many
difficulties in his life. He was a school teacher for a long time. After
that, he worked as an ordinary clerk.
Masterji started writing
in Kashmiri in 1942. In his Kashmiri poetry, he has written primarily on
devotion and peace. His poetry was greatly influenced by Lal Ded and
P.mp3anand. In this book you will read his poem majbu:ri:
(Compulsion).
Masterji composed poetry
only for (his own) pleasure. Those who know say that Masterji's poems in
Kashmiri were better than those in Hindi and Urdu. Masterji translated the
poems of the famous Kashmiri poet P.mp3anand into English. These poems have
been published in three volumes. Kashmiri poetry suffered a great loss
upon Masterji's death.
Chapter
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