Maharashtra State Board – Std. IX
Chapter 4.5 – Tansen
Poet: Hazrat Inayat Khan
Paraphrase of the Poem
Tansen was a great singer in the court of Emperor Akbar. He earned immense fame, and his melodious voice echoed through the royal palace like the sound of silver bells. Whenever Akbar listened to him, he felt deep inner joy. The emperor praised him highly, rewarded him with precious jewels, and called him the chief jewel in his crown.
One day, Tansen sang the Deepak Raga (the Song of Fire) with such intensity that his body burst into flames like a funeral pyre. To save him, a young maiden sang Raga Malhar, which is believed to have a cooling effect. As she sang, the flames were extinguished and Tansen returned to normal.
Akbar then said that Tansen’s teacher must be mighty and divine for him to have learned such magical music. Tansen humbly replied that his teacher lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas, away from worldly wealth and crowds. Akbar expressed a strong desire to meet him and said he was ready to give up his royal position and dress like a poor man just to hear the heavenly music.
Tansen agreed and suggested that Akbar should go disguised as a slave because his teacher did not sing for earthly kings. The journey was long and difficult. When they reached the cave, they bowed at the teacher’s feet and requested him to sing.
The Ostad (teacher) sang Raga Malkoush with divine joy. Birds and animals gathered around, enchanted by the music. Akbar felt as if he were dreaming. But before he could praise the Ostad, the teacher vanished.
Later, Akbar asked Tansen whether he could sing the same composition in the same divine manner. Tansen replied humbly that he could not, because he sang for a human king, while his teacher sang only for God.
Appreciation of the Poem
The poem Tansen is written by Hazrat Inayat Khan. It is a narrative poem that tells the story of the great singer Tansen and his devotion to music. The title is appropriate because the entire poem revolves around Tansen, his musical talent, and his relationship with his teacher and Emperor Akbar.
The poem is written in the form of rhyming couplets, and the rhyme scheme follows the pattern aa, bb, cc, dd and so on. The language used in the poem includes some archaic words such as ‘thy’, ‘thee’, and ‘o’er’, which give it an old-world charm and suit the historical setting of the story.
The central idea of the poem is that true greatness in art comes from devotion to God rather than from the desire to please human beings. Through the story of Akbar’s meeting with Tansen’s teacher, the poet shows the difference between worldly fame and divine dedication. The climax of the poem is in the last line, “Ah no, to thee I sing; he sings to God,” which clearly conveys the message that music offered to God has a deeper and more powerful effect.
One important figure of speech used in the poem is alliteration, as seen in the line, “Tell me, Tansen, what theme this is that holds,” where the sound of the letter ‘t’ is repeated. The poem also contains vivid imagery, especially in the description of the Deepak Raga causing flames and the Malkoush Raga enchanting birds and animals.
I like this poem because it is written in the form of a simple and interesting story. It is easy to understand and at the same time teaches an important lesson about humility, devotion, and the true purpose of art.
🔥 Warming Up!
(a) Indian Classical music consists of many Ragas. Find out from an expert or the internet, the names of at least 10 Ragas and the time when they are sung to produce greater effect.
Ans:
| No. | Name of Raga | Time for Greater Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raag Bhairav | Early morning |
| 2 | Raag Bhairavi | Late morning |
| 3 | Raag Asavari | Late morning |
| 4 | Raag Todi | Late morning to early afternoon |
| 5 | Raag Yaman (Kalyan) | Evening |
| 6 | Raag Marwa | Evening |
| 7 | Raag Purvi | Sunset |
| 8 | Raag Kafi | Night |
| 9 | Raag Khamaj | Late night |
| 10 | Raag Bilawal | Morning |
(b) Archaic words are those that are no longer used in a language, but sometimes their usage adds a historical or old-times flavour to a piece of writing.
Now find out some archaic words and write down at least ten of them, and against each, their modern equivalent and meaning in English.
Ans:
| Archaic Word | Modern Equivalent | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| Shrive | Forgive | To absolve from sin |
| Slay | Kill | To kill violently |
| Smite | Strike | To hit or defeat |
| Sooth | Truth | Reality |
| Wondrous | Wonderful | Amazing |
| Yonder | Over there | At a distance |
| Pate | Head | A person’s head |
| Nigh | Near | Close |
| Knave | Rogue | A dishonest man |
| Thee | You | Second person pronoun |
(c) There are many legends about the ‘nine gems’ in Akbar’s Court. Can you name some of the nine gems and the stories associated with them?
Ans:
The Nine Gems (Navratnas) in Akbar’s court were:
- Abul Fazl – Historian and author of Akbarnama.
- Faizi – Poet Laureate of Akbar’s court.
- Raja Todar Mal – Finance Minister who reformed the revenue system.
- Raja Birbal – Known for his intelligence and wit.
- Tansen – The greatest musician in Akbar’s court.
- Raja Man Singh – A brave military commander.
- Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana – Famous for his Hindi couplets.
- Fakir Aziao-Din – Spiritual advisor.
- Mirza Aziz Koka – Noble and administrator.
📖 In Between the Lesson
Q1. How did Akbar reward Tansen for the ecstatic effect of his singing?
Ans: Akbar praised Tansen, rewarded him with many jewels, and called him the chief jewel in his crown.
Q2. What happened to Tansen when he sang the Deepak Raga with great vigour?
Ans: When Tansen sang the Deepak Raga with great intensity, his body burst into flames like a funeral pyre.
Q3. How did he come back to normal again?
Ans: He returned to normal when a maiden sang Raga Malhar, which had a cooling effect and extinguished the flames.
Q4. What did Tansen tell about his Teacher to Akbar?
Ans: Tansen told Akbar that his teacher lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas and did not sing for earthly kings.
Q5. Why did Akbar change his kingly attire?
Ans: Akbar changed his attire and dressed like a slave because the teacher did not sing for kings.
Q6. What was the magical effect of Ostad’s rendering of the Malkous Raga?
Ans: When Ostad sang the Malkous Raga, birds and animals gathered around, enchanted by the music, and Akbar felt heavenly joy.
Q7. What happened before Akbar could come out of his trance?
Ans: Before Akbar could come out of his trance, the Ostad disappeared.
Q8. Why did Tansen’s singing not produce the same effect as that by Ostad?
Ans: Tansen’s singing did not produce the same effect because he sang to please a human king, whereas the Ostad sang in devotion to God.
✏️ ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Pick out archaic words from the poem and give their modern equivalents.
Ans:
| Archaic Word | Modern Equivalent |
|---|---|
| thy | your |
| thine | yours |
| ’twere | it were |
| o’er | over |
| thee | you |
2. Who said the following, to whom, and when?
(a) “Mighty thy Teacher must be and divine.”
Ans: Akbar said this to Tansen after hearing the Deepak Raga.
(b) “He dwells within a cave of Himalay.”
Ans: Tansen said this to Akbar when Akbar asked about his teacher.
(c) “As you desire, Huzoor.”
Ans: Tansen said this when Akbar expressed his wish to meet the teacher.
(d) “O Holy Master, bless us with thy song!”
Ans: Akbar and Tansen said this to the teacher when they met him in the cave.
(e) “Ah no, to thee I sing; he sings to God.”
Ans: Tansen said this to Akbar at the end of the poem.
3. Rearrange the following in their proper order as in the poem.
Ans (Correct Order):
- (f) One day, the singer sang Deepak Raga in the court.
- (j) She sang Raga Malhar, which had a cooling effect.
- (g) Akbar expressed his wish to meet the Teacher.
- (b) Akbar followed Tansen, dressed miserably.
- (e) O Divine Teacher, please gift us the joy of your song.
- (a) The Ostad sang the Malkous Raga enchantingly.
- (h) He experienced heavenly delight.
- (d) Ostad was nowhere to be seen.
- (c) I request you to sing such a song that I will experience unmatched joy.
- (i) Tansen sings to please the earthly king but Ostad devotes his songs to God.
4. Write the reason in your own words.
(a) Akbar strongly desired to hear Ostad sing.
Ans: Akbar believed that if Tansen sang so beautifully, his teacher must sing even more divinely.
(b) Akbar had to dress like a slave.
Ans: The teacher did not sing for kings, so Akbar disguised himself as a slave.
(c) After the song Ostad had vanished.
Ans: The Ostad disappeared because he did not seek praise or recognition.
(d) Ostad’s song was more elating than Tansen’s songs.
Ans: Ostad’s song was more powerful because it was sung in devotion to God.
5. What message does the poet wish to convey through this narrative poem, ‘Tansen’?
Ans: The poet wishes to convey that true greatness is achieved when one dedicates one’s talent to a higher and divine purpose.
6. Summarise this poem in your own words in 8 to 10 lines, highlighting only the main points.
Ans: Tansen was a famous singer in Akbar’s court. One day, he sang the Deepak Raga so powerfully that his body burst into flames. A maiden saved him by singing Raga Malhar. Akbar then wished to meet Tansen’s teacher. Disguised as a slave, he travelled to the Himalayas. The Ostad sang Malkoush so divinely that even birds and animals gathered to listen. Akbar felt heavenly joy. Before he could speak, the Ostad vanished. Tansen later explained that his teacher sang for God, while he himself sang for a human king.