Mahamana as a Poet

Earlier a poem by this very Makarand had already been published in Bhartendu's 'Harishchandra Patrika'. It was titled 'Daaran' and was again a poem resolving a problem.

"भूलि हैं सो हंसि मांगिबो दान को,
रंच दही हित पानी पसारन।
भूलि हैं फागु के रागु सबै वह
ताकहि ताकि कै कुमकुम मारन।
सो तो भयौ सब ही 'मकरन्द जू'
दाखहिं दाखि कै बैर बिसारन।
जापर चीर चुराय चढ़े
वह भूलिहैं कैसे कदम्ब की डारन।"

(The laughter that is forgotten will be sought in alms
Like the curd is extracted after throwing the water
The ragas of Fagun they have forgotten
Whom they will colour with vermillion now
What has happened has happened 'Makarand'
On seeing whom they will forget their animosity
On whose branch he climbed stealing their clothes
How would they forget that kadamb tree)

Bhartendu Harishchandra was so impressed by these poems that he invited 'Makarand' to read his poem amongst the stalwarts in Varanasi. He received a letter again that read- 'I am a resident of Ahiyapur locality in Allahabad and my real name is Madan Mohan. I had sent you the poem by the surname 'Makarand'. I have respected you as my guru with all my sincere emotions and I am not sure whether a boy like me can speak even a word amongst the reputed poets.' This is how the reality behind the true identity of 'Makarand' was revealed. Malaviyaji had written dozens of couplets and poems and even in his college days he kept on writing regularly. In those days he wrote two poems titled 'Gentleman'. While the first one was the description of his jovial and light-hearted attitude, the second one was a scathing satire on the fashionable gentlemen of that time. Following are the few lines from the two poems-

"गरे जूही के हैं गजरे, पड़ा रंगी दुपट्टा तन;
भला क्या पूछिए धोती, तो ढाके से मंगाते हैं।
कभी हम वारनिश पहनें, कभी पंजाब का जोड़ा;
हमेशा पास डंडा है, ये फक्कड़ सिंह गाते हैं।
न ऊधौ से हमें लेना, न माधो को हमें देना;
करें पैदा जो खाते हैं व दुःखियों को खिलाते हैं।
नहीं डिप्टी बनना चाहें, न चाहें हम तसिल्दारी;
पडें अलमस्त रहते हैं, यूंह ही हम दिन बिताते हैं।"