Meaning of Pushp Ki Abhilasha by Makhanlal Chaturvedi

Pushp Ki Abhilasha…
Chah Nahin Mai SurBala Ke Gehnon Mein Guntha Jaaon.
Chah Nahin Premi Mala Mein Bindh, Pyari Ko Lalchaon.
Chah Nahin Samraton Ke Shav Par, He Hari Dala Jaaon.
Chah Nahin Devon Ke Sar Par Chadhon, Bhagya Par Itraoon.

Mujhey Tod Lena Banmali, Us Path Par Tum Dena Phaink,
Matra Bhoomi Per Sheesh Chadhaney, Jis Path Jaayen Veer Anek.

Background:
This poem is written by the famous poet Makhanlal Chaturvedi who was an Indian Poet, Writer, Essayist and a journalist. He is remembered for his participation in the India’s National Struggle for Independence. He was also known for the Neo Romanticism movement of Hindi Literature.

Structure:
It is a short lyrical poem with 6 two lined stanzas. Among them the last one doesn’t have a rhyming ending.
Analysis:
Chah Nahin Mai SurBala Ke
Gehnon Mein Guntha Jaaon.

Chah Nahin Premi Mala
Mein Bindh, Pyari Ko Lalchaon.

Chah Nahin Samraton Ke Shav
Par, He Hari Dala Jaaon.

Chah Nahin Devon Ke Sar
Par Chadhon, Bhagya Par Itraoon.

In this poem the poet is translating what a flower wants to say. It says it doesn’t want to be torn and made into a necklace for beautiful women. The flower wants to be used for a better purpose then just made into a necklace. Then it says it doesn’t want to be some lady’s love i.e. it doesn’t need anything like now a days people desire to be loved and praised by a beautiful women but the flower doesn’t. Then in the 3rd stanza it says it doesn’t want to be plucked and thrown on dead bodies. Now a days and since ever it’s a fashion or tradition to throw flowers on dead bodies or graves of dead people for fragrance and its considered to be a great gesture. So the flower demands not be thrown on the dead bodies either and be free as they want to be used for a much better purpose. Then the flower says it doesn’t want to be offered to the gods too and so it won’t be considered foolish as it is thinking about a much better purpose in life.

Just pluck me Gardner and throw me on the road,
which is taken by the brave soldiers to give away their lives for the Motherland !
In the last stanza the flower reveals what it actually wants. The flower says it just wants to be plucked and thrown on the ground, the ground on which the brave soldiers sacrificed their lives and that ground which is the motherland. So it’s basically saying that this land matters more than anything to that flower that it wants to sacrifice itself just for the land and nothing else. It is paying tribute to all those soldiers who gave up their lives just for this land and so it wants to do the same.

Summary:
In this poem the poet is trying to express in clear words all the wishes of a flower (Phushp). He is saying that the flower loves its motherland to such an extent that it doesn’t want anything but to fall on its motherland. The poem begins with the poet mentioning all the wishes the flower has i.e. it doesn’t want to sacrifice itself by getting made into a women’s necklace not caring how beautiful that women might be. Then it doesn’t want to fall for some women’s love. It doesn’t want to plucked and be sacrificed on the graves of the dead people and neither want to be offered to the Gods. All it wants is to be sacrificed for its motherland like the soldiers who gave up their lives fighting for it.

Theme:
This poem is about sacrifice and giving up of lives for the motherland I.e. love for the country and its land. In this the poet is being a flower and describing his feelings for his country and his land and how much does he love it that he can also sacrifice his life for it. This poem is based on self-scarification for the nation.