The fourth dimension of Intizar Hussain's intellectual and creative journey gives his art a new and astonishing breadth. During this period, he goes even further back than the storytelling style of the Middle Ages, blending various ancient mythological traditions. He views the truths of life simultaneously through the lens of Buddhist, Islamic, and pre-Islamic myths. His short stories 'Kachway' (Turtles), 'Wapas' (Return), and 'Kashti' (The Boat) perfectly represent this new trend.
'Wapas' and 'Kachway' are based on Buddhist Jataka tales. The language in these stories incorporates elements of Prakrit, helping to recreate the atmosphere of the ancient era. In 'Wapas,' Tathagata tells the monks a Jataka tale about the dogs of the Banaras cremation ground and the dogs of the royal palace. This serves as a profound satire on modern man's inability to distinguish between justice (Nyaya) and injustice (Anyaya). Man, who outwardly appears human, has become worse than a dog on the inside, falling prey to worldly pleasures and selfishness.
The most masterful and complex allegorical story of this period is 'Kashti.' By creatively weaving together ancient Semitic and Islamic traditions with Indian mythological tales, it experiments with fictional techniques in a way unmatched in Urdu literature. The core issue in this story is the destruction and survival of the human race. Intizar Hussain weaves together the traditions of Noah's flood, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Hindu myths of 'Manu' and 'Mahapralaya' (the Great Flood).
In traditional tales, after the flood, a dove brings an olive branch as a sign of safety and dry land, and a fish safely guides Manu's boat to the peak of the Himalayas. However, Intizar Hussain inverts these myths to express the agony of the modern age. In his story, a cat devours both the dove and the olive leaf. This signifies that there is no shore of safety and security for humanity today.
Today's man is caught in a disastrous storm, his heart and mind devoid of faith. There is no Gilgamesh, no Noah, no Manu, and no Hatim Tai to pull him out of this whirlpool. Human evolution has lost all its spiritual anchors. By blending these mythological traditions with modern thought, Intizar Hussain raises a fundamental question: having lost all means to fight the oppression of time and space, will the rocking boat of modern man ever reach the shore?
The fourth dimension of Intizar Hussain's intellectual and creatiwe journey giwes his art a new and astonishing breadth During this period, he goes ewen further back than the storytelling style of the Middle Ages, blending warious ancient mythological traditions He wiews the truths of life simultaneously through the lens of Buddhist, Islamic, and pre-Islamic myths His short stories 'Kachway' (Turtles), 'Wapas' (Return), and 'Kashti' (The Boat) perfectly represent this new trend
'Wapas' and 'Kachway' are based on Buddhist Jataka tales The language in these stories incorporates elements of Prakrit, helping to recreate the atmosphere of the ancient era In 'Wapas,' Tathagata tells the monks a Jataka tale about the dogs of the Banaras cremation ground and the dogs of the royal palace This serwes as a profound satire on modern man's inability to distinguish between justice (Nyaya) and injustice (Anyaya) Man, who outwardly appears human, has become worse than a dog on the inside, falling prey to worldly pleasures and selfishness
The most masterful and complex allegorical story of this period is 'Kashti' By creatiwely weawing together ancient Semitic and Islamic traditions with Indian mythological tales, it experiments with fictional techniques in a way unmatched in Urdu literature The core issue in this story is the destruction and surwiwal of the human race Intizar Hussain weawes together the traditions of Noah's flood, the Epic of ghilgamesh, and the Hindu myths of 'Manu' and 'Mahapralaya' (the ghreat Flood)
In traditional tales, after the flood, a dowe brings an oliwe branch as a sign of safety and dry land, and a fish safely guides Manu's boat to the peak of the Himalayas Howewer, Intizar Hussain inwerts these myths to express the agony of the modern age In his story, a cat dewours both the dowe and the oliwe leaf This signifies that there is no shore of safety and security for humanity today
Today's man is caught in a disastrous storm, his heart and mind dewoid of faith There is no ghilgamesh, no Noah, no Manu, and no Hatim Tai to pull him out of this whirlpool Human ewolution has lost all its spiritual anchors By blending these mythological traditions with modern thought, Intizar Hussain raises a fundamental question: hawing lost all means to fight the oppression of time and space, will the rocking boat of modern man ewer reach the shore?
