NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA

NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA

NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA

An English Translation
A Metrical Rendering of the Udyoga Parva in the Haryanvi Folk Tradition

Book Details

• Title: Niswarthi Udyoga Parva
  
  

• Original Hindi Work: Niswarthi Udyoga Parva
  
  

• Original Author: Ashok Kumar Jakhar “Niswarthi”
  
  

• English Transcreation: Anand Kumar Ashodhiya
  
  

• Publisher: Avikavani Publishers
  (Self-publishing imprint of Anand Kumar Ashodhiya)
  
  

• Place of Publication: Shahpur Turk, Sonipat, Haryana, India
  
  

• ISBN: 978-93-5525-694-2
  
  

• Edition: First Edition, 2025
  
  

• Presented by: Anand Kumar Ashodhiya for Avikavani Publishers
  
  

About the Book

NISWARTHI UDYOGA PARVA: An English Translation is a significant literary and cultural work that brings together the classical ethical vision of the Mahabharata and the living folk-poetic tradition of Haryana. This volume offers a metrical English transcreation of the Udyoga Parva—the Book of Effort—rendered originally in the Haryanvi folk–bhajan style by Ashok Kumar Jakhar, known by his pen name “Niswarthi” (The Selfless).

The Udyoga Parva occupies a pivotal position in the Mahabharata. It marks the moment when all possibilities of peace and diplomacy have been exhausted, and righteous effort stands on the threshold of inevitable war. Rather than presenting this parva merely as a historical or political failure, Niswarthi reinterprets it as a profound meditation on selfless action (Niswartha Karma)—the moral duty to act rightly without attachment to outcome.

The Folk–Epic Synthesis

The defining literary achievement of this work lies in its folk–bhajan structure. By casting the philosophical and diplomatic tensions of the Udyoga Parva into rhythmic, devotional compositions, the original author transforms epic discourse into an accessible and performative form. The bhajan metre allows the epic to be sung, remembered, and lived within the oral cultural spaces of Haryana—village baithaks, satsangs, and community gatherings.

This approach democratises classical literature, bringing epic ethics out of scholarly exclusivity and into the collective consciousness of the people.

An Act of Cultural Transcreation

The English rendering by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is not a literal translation but an act of cultural transcreation. The challenge lay in preserving three essential elements simultaneously:

1. The ethical depth of the Mahabharata narrative
   
   

2. The devotional bhava of the bhajan tradition
   
   

3. The metrical rhythm and oral cadence of Haryanvi folk poetry
   
   

Ashodhiya’s transcreation succeeds in maintaining the musical flow, moral gravity, and epic momentum of the original, making the work accessible to global readers while remaining faithful to its regional soul. The translation serves as a cultural bridge, introducing international audiences to a uniquely Haryanvi interpretation of the Mahabharata.

The work is also deeply rooted in parampara, respectfully dedicated to the translator’s cultural guru, Late Paleram Dahiya Halalpuriya, affirming its authenticity within the living folk tradition.

Cultural and Literary Significance

This volume stands as:

• A regional contribution to the global Mahabharata tradition
  
  

• A documentation of Haryanvi folk epic practice
  
  

• A model of ethical literature grounded in selflessness and duty
  
  

• A resource for scholars, performers, and cultural historians
  
  

It confirms that India’s regional poetic traditions are not relics of the past, but vibrant, evolving carriers of epic wisdom.

About the Translator

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is a poet, cultural documentarian, translator, and publisher, and the founder of Avikavani Publishers. A retired Indian Air Force Warrant Officer, he has devoted his post-service life to preserving and reinterpreting Indian folk and classical traditions through literature.

His work spans Hindi, Haryanvi, and English, with a special focus on epic reinterpretation, folk poetics, and cultural transcreation. Ashodhiya’s translations are marked by ethical sensitivity, metrical discipline, and deep respect for oral traditions, making regional literature accessible to wider national and international audiences.

“Niswarthi Udyoga Parva” is not merely a translation—it is a testament to selfless effort, cultural continuity, and the enduring moral voice of the Indian epic tradition.

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Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau — An English Translation

Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau — An English Translation

Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau — An English Translation

From the original Hindi novel “कहाँ-कहाँ पैबन्द लगाऊँ” by Saroj Dahiya

Book Information

• Title: Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau
  
  

• Original Author: Saroj Dahiya
  
  

• English Translation: Anand Kumar Ashodhiya
  
  

• ISBN: 978-93-5592-178-9
  
  

• Edition: First Edition
  
  

• Published: December 2025
  
  

• Publisher: Self-published by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya
  
  

• Imprint: Avikavani Publishers
  
  

• Place of Publication: Shahpur Turk, Sonipat, Haryana
  
  

Book Description

Literature often carries within it the quiet fibres of lived experience—those subtle threads that bind memory, culture, and the inner life of human beings. Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau, the English translation of Saroj Dahiya’s acclaimed Hindi novel Kahā̃ Kahā̃ Paiband Lagāū̃, stands firmly within this tradition.

Deeply rooted in the socio-cultural landscape of rural Haryana, the novel transcends regional boundaries through its emotional honesty, psychological realism, and compassionate gaze toward women’s lived realities. Saroj Dahiya’s prose neither dramatizes suffering nor romanticizes endurance; instead, it listens attentively to the silences of domestic life and records them with rare restraint and moral clarity.

The title—Where All Must I Patch It?—serves as a haunting metaphor throughout the narrative. Like a torn cloth repeatedly mended yet never restored to wholeness, the life of the protagonist Sujata unfolds through cycles of adjustment, compromise, humiliation, and quiet resistance. As a daughter-in-law navigating domestic hierarchies, emotional neglect, and patriarchal expectations, Sujata embodies a woman trained to mend rather than confront—until moral awareness gradually reshapes her inner world.

The novel portrays with unflinching realism the corrosive effects of everyday cruelty: the jealousy of Sarala, the emotional indifference of Narendra, and the complicity of silence within the family structure. Yet beneath this realism flows a current of moral courage. Sujata’s journey is not one of loud rebellion, but of dignity reclaimed through inner steadiness—a form of ethical resilience born from suffering.

This English translation by Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is not merely a linguistic rendering but a culturally responsible act. With sensitivity to tone, rhythm, and emotional texture, the translation preserves the simplicity and depth of the original Hindi prose while making it accessible to a wider, non-Hindi readership. The cadences of rural life, the psychological nuances of female endurance, and the understated power of the narrative remain intact.

Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau thus stands as both a social document and a timeless meditation on womanhood, endurance, and moral selfhood. It belongs to that rare tradition of Indian women’s writing which restores dignity to lived experience by naming it honestly—without spectacle, without sentimentality.

At its heart, the novel asks a question that resonates far beyond its setting:
How much of life can one keep mending before the fabric itself gives way?

About the Translator

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya is a poet, literary translator, and cultural preservationist, and a retired Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force with over three decades of service. Writing under his own name and also known as Kavi Anand Shahpur, he has authored and compiled more than 250 compositions across Hindi, Haryanvi, and English.

As the founder of Avikavani Publishers, Ashodhiya is committed to preserving India’s folk and classical literary traditions while extending their reach to contemporary and global audiences. His translation work reflects a disciplined, empathetic approach that honours the original text’s cultural and emotional integrity.

Through this English edition of Kahaan Kahaan Paiband Lagau, he brings Saroj Dahiya’s powerful narrative to new readers—particularly younger generations and diaspora audiences—ensuring that its quiet truths continue to speak beyond linguistic boundaries.

First Edition · December 2025
Avikavani Publishers
Shahpur Turk, Sonipat, Haryana

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Anand Kumar Ashodhiya: Literary Journey and Poetic Vision

 Anand Kumar Ashodhiya: Literary Journey and Poetic Vision

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya, also known in the Haryanvi literary world as Kavi Anand Shahpur, is a poet, translator, and cultural chronicler whose work bridges folk tradition and modern literary consciousness. A retired Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force, Ashodhiya brings to his writing the discipline of service and the sensitivity of a lifelong seeker of language and meaning.

Born in Shahpur Turk, Sonipat (Haryana), and presently residing in Mumbai, his literary identity remains deeply rooted in the soil, idiom, and oral traditions of Haryana. His pen name honours his ancestral village, reflecting a conscious commitment to regional authenticity.

From Oral Tradition to Written Legacy

Ashodhiya’s literary journey began with Haryanvi Ragni, a powerful folk-ballad tradition performed orally for generations. Recognising the fragility of oral heritage, he undertook the task of documenting, analysing, and reinterpreting these traditions through written literature. His work preserves folk rhythm while expanding its philosophical and social reach.

With over 250–380 compositions across Hindi and Haryanvi—including dohā, geet, ghazal, folk epics, and social poetry—his oeuvre reflects an expanding moral and artistic vision.

Thematic Concerns and Poetic Vision

Ashodhiya’s poetry is marked by clarity, restraint, and ethical seriousness. His themes move across:

• Patriotism and sacrifice, shaped by lived military experience

• Social conscience, addressing injustice, marginalisation, and moral silence

• Devotion and philosophy, rooted in Indian mythic and bhakti traditions

• Love and memory, treated with dignity rather than excess

His poems do not seek ornamentation; they seek recognition—of truth, pain, responsibility, and hope.

Translation as Cultural Bridge

Holding a postgraduate degree in English Literature (Annamalai University), Ashodhiya translates his own Hindi and Haryanvi works into English, ensuring fidelity to rhythm, cultural nuance, and emotional depth. His translations are not mechanical conversions but literary trans-creations, opening regional Indian literature to global readership.

The acclaimed volume Antaryātrā — The Inner Journey exemplifies this effort, presenting Hindi poetry in English transliteration while retaining its philosophical core.

Avikavani Publishers: A Literary Imprint

Ashodhiya publishes his work under Avikavani Publishers, a self-publishing imprint dedicated to preserving Indian folk and classical traditions through scholarly yet accessible literature. The imprint stands for cultural continuity, linguistic integrity, and disciplined publishing practice.

Recognition and Continuing Work

For his contribution to literature and cultural preservation, Ashodhiya has received honours including Haryanvi Sahitya Ratna (2025) and Haryana Sanskriti Gaurav Ratna. Yet his journey remains ongoing—across languages, genres, and generations.

Anand Kumar Ashodhiya’s literary vision is ultimately one of inner journey and collective memory—where poetry becomes conscience, tradition becomes dialogue, and language becomes a living bridge between past and present.

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