UPSC Prelims 2021 Q44: 'Songs from Prison' and Leaders' Jail Writings
Who among the following is associated with 'Songs from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- Sarojini Naidu
Answer: (c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Statement-wise explanation
- a: incorrect — Bal Gangadhar Tilak's best-known prison work is the Marathi commentary Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya. He wrote it in Mandalay jail in Burma during his 1908–1914 imprisonment, and it was published in 1915. It is a philosophical commentary on the Gita, not a collection of English translations of lyrics.
- b: incorrect — Jawaharlal Nehru also wrote major books in jail. Glimpses of World History is a set of letters to his daughter Indira written in prison in 1930–33. The Discovery of India was written at Ahmednagar Fort in 1944. Both are his own prose works on history, not translations of religious lyrics.
- c: correct — Gandhi translated Indian hymns and religious lyrics into English while he was held in Yeravda prison in 1930. They were published in 1934 by George Allen and Unwin, London, as 'Songs from Prison: Translations of Indian Lyrics Made in Jail', with John S. Hoyland as co-author. Many of the lyrics came from the hymns sung at prayers in Gandhi's ashram.
- d: incorrect — Sarojini Naidu, the 'Nightingale of India', wrote her own poetry in English. Her collections are The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912) and The Broken Wing (1917). She is not known for translating ancient religious lyrics, and none of her well-known books came out of prison.
How to eliminate
In the end you have to know the fact: 'Songs from Prison' is Gandhi's translation of Indian hymns, made in Yeravda jail in 1930 and published in 1934. Some reasoning still helps. First, the word 'Prison' does not narrow things down much, because Tilak (Mandalay), Nehru (several jails) and Gandhi (Yeravda) all wrote in jail. Second, the book is a translation, not original writing. That makes Sarojini Naidu less likely, because she wrote her own English poems. Tilak's prison book was a Marathi commentary, and Nehru's were histories, so neither matches 'translation of religious lyrics in English'. Third, the link to devotional hymns points to Gandhi, whose ashram prayers centred on bhajans and who habitually translated texts during his jail terms. Remember: Songs from Prison = Gandhi, Yeravda 1930, published London 1934 (with John S. Hoyland).
Know more
Prison as a writing desk for national leaders
Many leaders of the freedom movement used jail terms to read, write and translate. UPSC often asks which work belongs to whom, and the prison where it was written is a frequent clue.
| Leader | Work | Where / when | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.G. Tilak | Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya | Mandalay jail, 1908–14 (published 1915) | Marathi commentary on the Gita, reading it as a call to action (karma yoga) |
| M.K. Gandhi | Songs from Prison | Yeravda jail, 1930 (published London, 1934) | English translations of Indian hymns and lyrics |
| M.K. Gandhi | From Yeravda Mandir | Yeravda jail, 1930 | Weekly letters to his ashram on its vows |
| M.K. Gandhi | Harijan (weekly) | Started from Yeravda jail, February 1933 | Journal against untouchability |
| J. Nehru | Glimpses of World History | Various jails, 1930–33 | Letters to Indira on world history |
| J. Nehru | The Discovery of India | Ahmednagar Fort, 1944 | Survey of India's history and culture |
Sarojini Naidu is the odd one out. She was a poet in her own right, not a translator. Her collections are The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912) and The Broken Wing (1917). Her collected poems appeared later as The Sceptred Flute (1928) and The Feather of the Dawn (1961). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1914.
How to remember it: Gandhi's 1930 Yeravda term came right after the Salt March. He spent it on spiritual work: letters on ashram vows and translations of the hymns sung at ashram prayers. Those translations became Songs from Prison. Tilak's Mandalay term (after his 1908 sedition conviction) produced a commentary. Nehru's jail terms produced histories.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak: Tilak is one of the options. Knowing his own prison work, the Gita Rahasya written at Mandalay, helps you judge this option.