Dil Ki Gita: When Urdu Embraced the Bhagavad Gita – A Pre-Partition Treasure Rediscovered

 Most of us have heard the sacred Sanskrit verse:

            Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana...

But have you ever encountered its essence in this soulful form?

      Tera haq hai bas kaam karne ke upar, Nahi phal pe tera koi ikhtiyar...

These are the words of Khwaja Dil Mohammad, who poured the essence of the Bhagavad Gita into the sweetness of the Urdu language. His famous work, “Dil Ki Gita” (Gita of the Heart), was originally published in the 1940s by the Khawaja Book Depot in Lahore (with the 1944 edition being the most renowned). Later, the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (New Delhi) reprinted it in 2004. This is not merely a translation; it is a poetic masterpiece so moving that it is widely celebrated as the “Gita of the Heart.”

Recently, an 80-year-old treasure was discovered at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur District Library in Sangrur, Punjab, capturing the public’s imagination—a copy of the Bhagavad Gita written in Urdu. In this version, the profound depth of Sanskrit and the sheer elegance of Urdu meld into one. This discovery even went viral on Reddit, reminding the digital generation of a forgotten history.

The Discovery: A Glimpse of Pre-Partition 'Shared Culture'

The book found in the Sangrur library dates back to a time before Partition, when language and religion were not divided by walls. The records reveal that the publisher was JS Sant Singh and Sons, operating from the famous ‘Mati Chowk’ in Lahore.

Since this publishing house was active before 1947, it confirms that this copy is a pre-Partition relic. It stands as a powerful statement: at a time when the nation was being divided, a Sikh publisher (JS Sant Singh and Sons) was printing a Hindu scripture in the Urdu script. This is the living embodiment of the syncretic culture of undivided Punjab.

Why it Matters: Evidence of 'Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb'

In today’s political scenario, where conflicts in the name of religion are frequent, it is natural for people to be astonished and ask, “The Gita in Urdu? How?” However, during that era, Urdu was the Lingua Franca (the common tongue) of North India. Just as we rely on English today for technical work or professional communication, the Hindu and Sikh scholars of that time used the Urdu script for their personal diaries and their understanding of religious texts.

This discovery is living proof of how deeply different languages and religions were intertwined within our culture.

Literary Giants: Not Just a Translation, but an 'Art Form'

The dedication shown by scholars like Khwaja Dil Mohammad and Anwar Jalalpuri in their Urdu translations was not a mere linguistic exercise; it was a profound act of art. They meticulously transformed Sanskrit verses into the lyrical beauty of Urdu Shayari and Rubaiyat (quatrains).

According to scholarly research, the Bhagavad Gita has seen over 80 translations in Urdu (spanning both pre- and post-partition eras)—a number higher than in any other language! This collection includes both prose and poetry, further magnifying the grand scale of our “Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.”

It is akin to adapting a Shakespearean play into Indian Folk Music—while the original message remains intact, the presentation and artistic expression are entirely new.

Observe how these masters turned complex philosophical verses into soul-stirring poetry:

The Soul’s Immortality (Atma ki Amarta):

-Sanskrit: “Nainam chhindanti shastrani...”

-Anwar Jalalpuri:

"Na khanjar hi ise kaat sakta hai pyare, Na aatish hi ise jala sakti hai pyare".(Neither can a dagger cut it, my dear, nor can fire burn it.)

The Universality of God (Ishwar ki Vyapti):

-Sanskrit: Ye yatha mam prapadyante...

-Khwaja Dil Mohammad:

 "Jo raah bhi insaan ne ikhtiyar ki hai, Woh raah mere hi ghar ko aayi hai".(Whichever path a human chooses to take, that path ultimately leads to my doorstep.)

Anwar Jalalpuri’s version is a "recent gem" of this tradition. Between 2013 and 2014, he published “Urdu Shayari Mein Gita” (also known as Nagma-e-Ilm-o-Amal) through the Naumani Printing Press in Lucknow. In this monumental work, he translated all 700 verses into Urdu couplets/rubaiyat, effectively carrying forward the legendary legacy of the Naval Kishore Press. A video of him reciting these verses also went viral, allowing a new generation to search for and connect with this beautiful rendition.

Pages from History: The Contribution of Naval Kishore Press

In this historical journey, the contribution of Naval Kishore Press remains unforgettable. Between 1858 and 1950, this institution published over 124 Sanskrit texts in Urdu, including complete versions of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It stood as the largest publishing house in South Asia, second globally only to France’s Alpine Press.

Their mission went beyond commerce; they aimed to “liberate knowledge from the shackles of language” and ensure it reached every household. This tradition of scholarly inclusion was anchored even earlier in 1863, when Kanhaiyalal Alakh Vihari authored “Gyan Prakash,” the first Urdu prose translation, laying the very foundation for this literary movement.

Conclusion: A Heritage That Unites Us

Today, as we hear rhetoric of division based on language and religion, the book discovered in the Sangrur library serves as a powerful reminder that our true identity lies in “Unity in Diversity.” It is far more than just an ancient manuscript; it is a priceless fragment of our shared heritage. It stands as a testament to the fact that true knowledge is universal—it knows no single language, and it belongs to no single religion.