Shambhunath Singh

Shambhunath Singh (17 June 1916 – 3 September 1991) was a Hindi writer, freedom fighter, poet and social worker.He is especially celebrated for composing the Kulgeet (University Anthem) of MGKVP, which is a symbol of the institution’s cultural and philosophical ethos.

Singh on a 2017 stamp of India

Early life

He was born in Rawatpar village, Deoria district, Uttar Pradesh, India. He did his M.A. in Hindi, earned a Doctoral degree, and worked as a teacher at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, and finally retired as Professor and Head of the Hindi Department, Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi.^[1]

Shambhunath Singh was a lyric poet, though he has written a few plays and literary criticism also.^[1] He has written a book-length reevaluation of the book 'Chhayavada'.^[2] He started the Navageet movement with publishing his collection of poems Divalok. In this book, despair frustration and desire for beauty are the major themes.^[3] Later he shifted to the holy city of Varanasi with his late wife Prabhavati Singh.

He has special place in the history of Hindi poetry.^[4] His poems show new intellectual consciousness. Portrayal of the modern inconsistency in the human life is the unique features of his writings.

A Non-Governmental Organization working for the deprived and marginalized peoples of the community is named after him. The name of the organization is Dr. Shambhunath Singh Research Foundation (SRF).^[5]

Selected works

• Samay ki shila par
• Jaha dard neela hai
• Harijan geet (on Dalits)
• Divalok
• Rup rashmi (1946)^[1]
• Chāyāloka (1970)^[6]
• Udayācala (1970)^[7]
• Navgeet Dashak (1982)^[8]
• Hindī ālocanā ke jyoti-stambha (1972)^[9]