IAF Veteran Anand Kumar Ashodhiya’s Literary Odyssey

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is a retired Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) who transitioned from military service to a prolific career as a literary scholar, poet, and preserver of Haryanvi folk heritage. His "literary odyssey" is characterized by a commitment to documenting oral traditions and applying rigorous scholarly standards, such as Pingal Shastra (prosody), to regional literature. 

Key Literary Focus Areas

Cultural Preservation: Ashodhiya is known for documenting traditional Haryanvi folk epics (Ragnis), ensuring they are preserved with technical accuracy through prosodic reviews.

Linguistic Scholarship: He produces works in Hindi, Haryanvi, and English, often adapting ancient Indian epics and regional folklore for modern audiences.

Philosophical & Patriotic Themes: His poetry often blends spiritual depth with national pride, reflecting his background as a veteran. 

Notable Works

Ashodhiya has authored over 13 major works, including: 

Adhirājan (2022/2025): A folk epic written in the traditional Ragni form.

SĀKET (2025): An English trans-creation of a significant literary work.

Heer Ranjha (2025): A collection of Haryanvi Ragnis accompanied by analysis and Pingal reviews.

Ath Marjarika Uvach (2025): A symbolic Hindi epic exploring Indian history through 2025.

NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA (2025): An English rendering of the Mahabharata’s Udyoga Parva.

Antaryātrā (2026): An introspective work available as an English transliteration. 

Through his publishing venture, Avikavani Publishers, he continues to elevate Haryanvi literature by providing a platform for traditional art forms and modern free-verse poetry. 

Read More »

Antaryātrā: Translating Hindi Poetry into English

 Antaryātrā: Translating Hindi Poetry into English

Antaryātrā: Translating Hindi Poetry into English

By Anand Kumar Ashodhiya

Translation is not merely the transfer of words from one language to another; it is the migration of emotion, culture, and consciousness. Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey is born from this understanding. It is not a literal translation of Hindi poems into English, but an act of transliteration and trans-creation, where meaning, rhythm, and cultural essence travel together.

The original Hindi poems of Antaryātrā are rooted in lived experience — love tempered with restraint, patriotism shaped by duty, social concern voiced through empathy, and spiritual inquiry expressed through silence rather than sermon. Translating such poetry into English demands sensitivity to both linguistic structure and emotional cadence. The challenge lies not in vocabulary alone, but in preserving the inner music of the poem.

Hindi poetry often carries cultural markers — idioms, folk memory, devotional undertones, and regional rhythms — that resist direct equivalence in English. In Antaryātrā, the approach has been to retain the semantic core while allowing the English language to breathe naturally. Where rhyme is lost, resonance is preserved; where meter shifts, meaning deepens.

As both poet and translator, I occupy a unique position. The act of translation becomes an inward dialogue — a re-listening to one’s own voice across languages. This dual authorship allows fidelity not only to words, but to intention. The English versions seek clarity without dilution, simplicity without loss of depth.

Antaryātrā thus stands as a bridge — between Hindi and English, between regional consciousness and global readership, and between inner reflection and outward expression. It affirms that Indian poetry, when translated with care and responsibility, can speak across borders without losing its soul.

In this journey inward and outward, translation becomes an ethical act — one that honours both the source and the seeker.

Read More »