On 13 March 1910, Savarkar was arrested on charges of sedition and inciting to murder in India, at Victoria Station, London, when arriving from Paris. On 14 March, he was taken to Bow Street Extradition Police Court. He was charged with a provisional warrant issued under the Fugitive Offenders Act 1881 and sent to seven days’ police custody. After a few days, he was sent to Brixton Jail. On 29 March, Anant Kanhere, Karve and Deshpande, all accused in the Jackson Murder Case (Nashik) were sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out on 19 April 1910. Savarkar learnt of this terrible news while in Brixton Jail. On 20 April, Savarkar’s hearing commenced again. The Magistrate rejected the plea of Savarkar’s lawyer Reginald Von to grant him bail. Savarkar was sent back to Brixton Jail. His life lay in shambles. Darkness seemed to envelope him on all sides. His elder brother Babarao had been sentenced to Transportation for Life in the Andamans. His only son Prabhakar, aged four years, had died in India in 1909. His younger brother Narayanrao faced imminent arrest. His elder sister-in-law Yashodabai (Yesuvahini; vahini –sister-in-law) and wife Yamunabai (Mai) now faced the brunt of British wrath and social ostracism. Savarkar’s associate Madan Lal Dhingra had embraced martyrdom a year earlier. The hanging of Kanhere, Karve and Deshpande was fresh in Savarkar’s mind. Savarkar’s revolutionary organization Abhinav Bharat was now virtually finished. Savarkar, himself faced a possible death sentence. It was in these terrible circumstances that Savarkar composed a poetic letter to his dear sister-in-law Yesuvahini whom he variously calls a divine lady, a brave woman and a dear sister. This 25 stanza poem called ‘Maajhe mrutyupatra’ (My Final Testament’) has become immortal in the annals of Marathi literature. Given below is an English translation of this heart-wrenching poem with the Marathi original. The translation has been done by “KalChiron”.
Maajhe mrutyupatra
वैशाखिचा कुमुदनाथ नभात हांसे यच्चन्द्रिका धवल सौधातली विलासे घाली स्वये जल जिला प्रिय बाल खासे जाई फूले चिमुकली नटली सुवासे ll १ ll आले घरी सकल आप्त सह्रद जिवाचे आनंदमग्न कुल गोकुल काय साचे आदर्श दीप्ति-शुचिता-धृति यौवानांचे पाहून जे तरुण मंडल कीर्ति नाचे ll २ ll प्रेम हृदे विकसली नव-यौवनाच्या गंधे सुवासित उदात्त सुसंस्कृतिच्या दिव्या लता तरुसी जे गृह बाग़ झाला ज्यां पौर हर्षित वदे जन "धर्मं-शाला" ll ३ ll स्वयंपाक त्वां निजकरें कुशले करावा प्रेमें तुझ्या अधिकची सु-रसाल व्हावा संवाद सर्व मिळुनी करितां नितान्त जेवावयासी बसलो जईं चांदण्यात ll ४ ll श्री रामचंद्र वनवास कथारसाला कीं केवीं देश इटली रिपु-मुक्त झाला तानाजिचा समरधीर तसा पोवाडा गावा चित्तोडगढ वा शनिवार वाडा ll ५ ll झाली कशी प्रियकरा अपुली अनाथा दुर्दास्यखिन्न शरछिन्न विपन्न माता शोकें विवंचुनी तिच्या जईं मोचनाचे केलें अनंत तरुणा उपदेश साचे ll ६ ll तो काल रम्य मधुरा प्रिय संगती ती ते चांदणे नवकथा रमणीय रात्री ते ध्येय दिव्या निज मातृ-विमोचानाचे तो उग्र निश्चयही ते उपदेश साचे ll ७ ll झाल्या तदा प्रियकरा सह आण-भाका त्या सर्व देवी वहिनी, स्मरति तुम्हां कां ?? "बाजीप्रभु ठरू" वदे युव संघ सर्व "आम्ही चित्तोड़ युवती" युवती सगर्व ll ८ ll कीं घेतले व्रत न हे अम्ही अन्धतेने लब्ध-प्रकाश-इतिहास-निसर्ग माने जे दिव्य-दाहक म्हणोनी असावयाचे बुद्ध्याची वाण धरिले करी हे सतीचे ll ९ ll ज्या होती ते प्रियजन सह आण-भाका त्यांते स्मरोनी मग सांप्रत हे विलोका नाही पूरी उलटली जरी आठ वर्षे तों कार्यसिद्धि इतुकी मन का न हर्षे ?? ll १० ll आसेतु पर्वत उचम्बळला स्वदेश वीराकृति धरित टाकुनी दीनवेष भक्तांचिया रघुपदी झुलतात झुंडी जाज्वल्य होयही हुताशन यज्ञकुंडी ll ११ ll तो यज्ञ सिद्ध करण्यास्तव उग्र दीक्षा जे घेती येई तइं तत्कृतिची परीक्षा "विश्वचिया अखिलमंगल धारणाला बोला असे कवण भक्ष्य हुताशनाला ?" ll १२ll आमंत्रण प्रभु रघुत्तम सोडितां हे दिव्यार्थ देव !!! अमुचे कुल सज्ज आहे हे साध्वी !! गर्जुनी असे पहिल्या हविचा हा ईश्वरी मिळविला अम्ही मान साचा ll १३ ll धर्मार्थ देह बदलो ठरले नितान्त ते बोल-फोल बालिश नचि बायकांत ना भंगली भिउनिया धृति यातनान्ना निष्काम कर्मरति योग ही खंडिला ना ll १४ ll ज्या होती तैं प्रियजना सह आण-भाका केल्याची सत्य कृतिने अजि ह्या विलोका दीप्तानलात निज मातृ-विमोचनार्थ हा स्वार्थ जाळुनि अम्ही ठरलो कृतार्थ ll १५ ll हे मातृभूमि तुजला मन वाहियेले वक्तृत्व वाक्-विभव ही तुज अर्पियेले तुंतेंची अर्पिली नवी कविता वधूला लेखां प्रति विषय तूची अनन्य झाला ll १६ ll त्वत्-स्थंडिले ढकलिले प्रिय मित्र-संघा केलें स्वये दहन यौवन देह-भोगा त्वत्कार्य नैतिक सुसंमत सर्व देवा तत्सेवनीच गमली रघुवीर सेवा ll १७ ll त्वत्-स्थंडिली ढकलली गृह-वित्त-मत्ता दावानालात वहिनी नव-पुत्र-कांता त्वत्-स्थंडिली अतुल-धैर्यनिष्ठ बंधू केला हवि परम कारुण पुण्यसिंधू ll १८ ll त्वत्-स्थंडिला वरी बळी प्रिय बाळ झाला त्वत्-स्थंडिला वरी अता मम देह ठेला हे काय बंधू असतो जरी सात आम्ही त्वत्-स्थंडिलीच असते दिधले बळी मी ll १९ ll संतान ह्या भारतभूमिस तीस कोटि जे मातृभक्ति सज्जन धन्य होती हे आपुले कुल ही तय मध्ये ईश्वरांश निर्वंश होउनी ठरेल अखंड वंश ll २० ll कीं ते ठरों ही अथवा न ठरो परंतु हें मातृभू अम्ही असो परिपूर्ण हेतु दीप्तानलात निज मातृ-विमोचनार्थ हा स्वार्थ जाळुनि अम्ही ठरलो कृतार्थ ll २१ ll ऐसे विवंचुनी अहो वहिनी !! व्रताते पाळोनी वर्धन करा कुल दिव्यतेतें श्रीपार्वती तप करीं हिम-पर्वती ती कीं विस्तवात हसल्या बहुराजपुती ll २२ ll तें भारतीय ललना-बल-तेज काही अद्यापि या भरतभूमित लुप्त नाही हें सिद्ध होइल असेंच उदार उग्र वीरांगने !! तव सुवर्तन हो समग्र ll २३ ll माझा निरोप तुजला येथुनी हाच देवी हा वत्स-वत्सल तुझ्या पदी शीर्ष ठेवी सप्रेम अर्पण असो प्रणति तुम्हांते आलिंगन प्रियकरा मम अंगनेते ll २४ ll कीं घेतले व्रत न हे अम्ही अन्धतेने लब्ध-प्रकाश-इतिहास-निसर्ग माने जे दिव्य-दाहक म्हणोनी असावयाचे बुद्ध्याची वाण धरिले करी हे सतीचे ll २५ ll |
The moon in the summer-night is smiling in the sky The Snow-white stars are brightly shining too The flowers in the garden of my home blossom As the children water them in the evening ll 1 ll All the members in my family have assembled Atmosphere as happier than Vrindavan of Krishna The beautiful, ideal and chaste youthfulness of people is resonating all over the place ll 2 ll Affections reigned in the hearts of young people Spreading the fragrance of rich heritage and civilization My home was a fragrant and heavenly tree which people referred to as "abode of righteousness" ll 3 ll I savored the food prepared by you the taste of which was further enriched by your love how we used to dine together chatting and relaxing in calm moonlight ll 4 ll How we listened to the stories of Sri Raam's exile and those of Italy's quest for independence and unification and the ballad of brave Tanaji or those of Chittorgarh and Shanivaar-Vaada ll 5 ll How was our beloved (land) orphaned and defiled saddened by the slavery and poverty was our mother (land) Saddened by her penury, how we counselled the youth to alliviete her off her misery ll 6 ll Ah!! that time spent in the company of beloved that spendid moonlight brightening those beautiful nights that heavenly desire to liberate the mother And that firm resolve, I remember everything... ll 7 ll The vows exchanged with the beloved do you remember them, Oh Vahini * "Will fight like Bajiprabhu" resolved the young men "Will sacrifice like Padmini of Chittorgarh" resolved the ladies as well ll 8 ll Blindly have we not made this resolve But in the light of history and the laws of nature Whatever is luminous and scorching Have we purposefully held the robes of a sati in our hands ll 9 ll It has been eight years, since then and we have achieved so much In spite of all those vows taken and fulfilment of some of them, why does not the heart feel the joy ??? ll 10 ll From Himalayas to Ocean, the nation has risen have assumed the valor, giving up the stance of deprivation The Yagna-pyre initiated is burning vigorously, but so is the resolve of devotees.. ll 11 ll Those who undertake responsibility of the Yagna's fulfilment, are tested immedietely for their resolve "For benefit of mankind and this planet Who is ready to burn first in this pyre??" ll 12 ll As soon as Sri Raam set up this open invitation Our family rose with unflinching resolve "Your holyness!!!" roared our kin "this divine right belongs to us" ll 13 ll For upliftment of righteousness, our sacrifice was decided These words weren't uttered in childish manner nor were we flinched by the prospects of torturous road ahead our yoga of desire-less action continued unflinchiingly ll 14 ll By all the vows exchanged with loved ones We fulfilled them all today In this raging fire, for the sake of liberation of mother, We burnt ourselves and became immortal ll 15 ll Oh Motherland! I have dedicated my intellect to you, To you I have dedicated my oratory, To you I have dedicated my new poem, You have become the sole subject of my prose ll 16 ll At your altar, have I sacrificed my friends sacrificed the pleasures of youth, myself Righteous is your cause and blessed by all gods Serving you, I realized the supreme truth ll 17 ll At your altar, I sacrificed my home, wealth and property IN this raging fire did I sacrifice my new-born son and wife At your altar, did my Elder brother go the one who was embodiment of courage and dignity ll 18 ll At your Altar, did my younger brother go as well; Now, it is my turn.... Even if we were seven brothers in family All of them would have been sacrificed at your Altar, oh Mother !!! ll 19 ll India is mother to 300 million children All of them are our brothers, truthful and motivated our family, but a small drop in this vast ocean of humanity Even if it dies out, our line will continue ll 20 ll In spite of success and failure, Oh motherland, our resolve still remains unbroken.. In this raging fire, for the sake of liberation of mother, We burnt ourselves and became immortal ll 21ll After saying this, dear Vahini, Follow this divine pledge throughout your life Just like the torturous penance of Parvati Just like the burning resolve of rajput princess ll 22 ll That luminous feminine strength has not yet disappeared from Bharatbhumi Prove these words, Oh brave lady may your life be a guiding star for the rest ll 23 ll I bid you good-bye, Oh divine lady, This brother of your's is bowing in front of you, one last time The affections and love shall remain in my heart forever; ardently convey this message to my beloved (wife)... ll 24 ll Blindly have we not made this resolve But in the light of history and the laws of nature Whatever is luminous and scorching Have we purposefully held the robes of a sati in our hands ll 25 ll |