Reading Vidyapati on Woman's Day

Reading 15th century poet philosopher Vidyapati on Women's day is profound and thought provoking. His poetry and philosophical musings indeed represent a radical departure from conventional social norms, particularly in the way they engage with the themes of pleasure, conjugality, and the qualifications of a true purush (man).The song Piya Mora Balak, often misinterpreted as a lament over marital mismatch, actually finds its roots in a much deeper critique of relationships, companionship, and the maturity required for conjugal fulfillment.

The common historical perception of marriage-related anomalies typically revolves around young girls being married to much older men. However, the reverse women finding themselves in companionship with immature or unqualified men has rarely been examined with the same level of scrutiny. Vidyapati’s poetry, when placed within the broader framework of his literary and philosophical contributions, offers a powerful counterpoint to this.

His verse:

पिया मोरा बालक हम तरुणी गे
कोन तप चुकलौं भेलौं जननी गे

reflects an unusually progressive stance on the importance of maturity in relationships, not just in biological terms but in terms of emotional and intellectual readiness. This lamentation aligns with his seminal work Purushpariksha, in which he lays out a rigorous framework for assessing manhood. Unlike the later materialistic paradigms that began equating a man's worth with wealth, Vidyapati’s framework emphasized intrinsic virtues valor, patience, discretion, enthusiasm, brilliance, genius, and above all, vidya (knowledge or scholarship). Wealth, which has now become a dominant criterion in social hierarchies, was considered secondary, if not entirely irrelevant, in determining a man’s worth in Vidyapati’s worldview. This shift in perspective is crucial. In this sense, Piya Mora Balak is not merely a song about an age mismatch but an expression of discontent from a woman who desires an equal, a man who can match her in maturity, wisdom, and emotional depth.

By elevating qualities such as wisdom, emotional intelligence, and skill over wealth, Vidyapati subtly challenged the rigid patriarchy and the materialistic determinants of social worth.Reading Vidyapati through this fresh lens not only enriches our understanding of his work but also offers a new way to engage with Indic thought. 

Vidyapati, in many ways, was ahead of his time in ascribing agency to women, not only in choosing their partners but also in seeking pleasure, asserting their desires, and rejecting relationships that do not meet their standards of fulfillment. 

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary aspects of Vidyapati’s vision was his democratization of pleasure and companionship. Until his time, the discourse of romantic and erotic fulfillment had largely been shaped by the perspectives of men, often those belonging to the elite classes. Pleasure was seen as a privilege that was monopolized by kings, and the powerful. However, by introducing Krishna and Radha as lovers in his poetry, Vidyapati dismantled this exclusivity. His Krishna is not a king but a divine lover, and his Radha is not a passive recipient of love but an active participant in desire and longing. In doing so, he opened the doors of erotic and emotional fulfillment to ordinary men and women, making pleasure a universal right rather than a class-based entitlement.

The author is a professor of history at Delhi University.