It was while creating the character of the precocious young genius of the Kapoor family, Bhaskar Tandon, in his 'A Suitable Boy' that well-known novelist-poet Vikram Seth was first introduced to the rhythmic cadence and timeless wisdom of 'The Hanuman Chalisa'. In the magnum opus of Seth, set in 1993, it is Bhaskar, still haunted by the reverential hymn of Tulsi to Lord Hanumana, which he had learned by heart at five years, now preparing to make a comeback as the ace Emeritus Professor of Mathematics in the sequel 'A Suitable Girl'.
Equally inspired, Seth took up the task of translating this much-loved devotional poem. At a recent function in New Delhi, he took the opportunity to speak about the timeless appeal of a poem dear to not only the millions of devotees chanting it every day, but also to his ninety-year-old neighbor Usha Mami in Noida. IN his prescription of the universality appeal, Seth mentioned that it is beyond religious and political lines, which inspires him to translate it into English.
Comparing it with the inspiration he received from translations himself—for example, Pushkin's 'Eugene Onegin'—Seth said that the task was remarkably daunting: capturing in translation Tulsidas's "incantatory rhyme and mesmeric rhythm." Still, despite its inevitable pitfalls, translating 'The Hanuman Chalisa' proved for Seth a rewarding enterprise aimed at familiarizing modern readers with the magical charm and wealth of cultural heritage stored within.
Seth writes briefly in the introduction of his translated volume, elaborating first of all on the limits-conditioned translation in regard to the musical echoes and alliterations of the original, but he considers the present effort as a means to share with others the elation and deep impact of a poem deeply graven on the hearts and traditions of hundreds of millions around the world.
