Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's is one of the significant post-independence voices in Hindi and Indian English Poetry, expressing the lyricism and pathos, aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect. Rooted deep into the Indian soil, his poems reflect not only the moods of a poet but of a complex age.
Born : 26 June 1926: Jhansi (U.P.), Edu. : M.A. (1948), Ph.D. (1957) from Nagpur University; Retd. Professor.
Several volumes of poetry in English and other languages are published, viz. In French 'A MODERN INDIAN POET : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : UN POΘTE INDIEN ET MODERNE; In English Forty Poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar After The Forty Poems Exuberance and other poems Dr.Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry Death Perception : Life Perception Passion and Compassion Poems : For A Better World A Handful of Light Lyric-Lute. etc. Poems are translated in most of the Indian languages.
Published research & critical studies : (1) Living Through Challenges : A Study of Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry (2) Poet Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : His Mind And Art.
Adviser 'POETCRIT'. At present Reasearch Guide in many Indian Universities.
A Critical Explication of Mahendra Bhatnagar's
' Passion and Compassion'
Dr. Anita Myles
Mahendra Bhatnagar has been involved with the writing of poetry for the past six decades. His poems have been translated into English and compiled in several volumes. 'Passion and Compassion' is his latest collection of fifty poems rendered into English by Dr.P .Adeshwar Rao. Thematically the volume is comprehensive bringing out admirably ,the poet's perception of society the world over. One has the opportunity to come into close contact with Mahendra Bhatnagar's varied experiences of life both pleasant as well as unpleasant for he believes that joys and sorrows together comprise the main tenets of human existence. The bitter truths of life are presented adroitly woven within the texture of his prolific and fecund imagination.
The poems compiled in this collection entitled Passion and Compassion revolve around man, the Divine's extraordinary creation. However, poems depicting the negative qualities of this supreme creation such as lack of humanism, selfishness, greed, desire to usurp what belongs to others, inequality and the corruption among political leaders outnumber the poems which enumerate the blessings of human emotions like love, passion and compassion for those in distress. Nevertheless, the poet is not entirely disturbed by this bleak scenario. His enduring cogent optimism rushes to rescue him enabling him to share his buoyancy about life with the readers. Nature, which occupies a prominent place in his other collections has been reduced to just a few poems in this collection." Bewitched" is one such poem where the poet is enchanted by the fragrance and beauty of the jasmine. So much so that he personifies the creeper and its flowers. To quote the poet:
O the fair coloured!
O the glittering coloured!
O my companion,
Soft and delicate!
From where
You have snatched /stolen
Such bewitching beauty!
Similarly in the poem Breeze, the poet personifies the enlivening, redolent breeze for it has the puissance of exhilarating the poet. He solicits to have a life long companionship with the breeze that affords him such comfort and solace. The questions of life and death remain an enigma for the poet as he ponders over the evanescence of man's existence. We flicker like a lamp and
All of a sudden on any day
The throbbing of the heart will stop.
But then one has to continue traversing thwarting the impediments of life's journey. The same idea is contained in the poem 'A Moment'. It takes just one moment for the journey of life to come to an end, hence the sensitive poet utterly percipient of fleeting time sincerely exhorts mankind to make the best of the few moments that are at hand and to
live every moment to the fullest
Before
It crushes your existence.
'Willing to Live' spells out the resoluteness of the poet to live stoically in an acrid and afflictive world come what may. The world may be full of bitterness and poison, the path may be extremely long, difficult and solitary but these blazing flames signify the astute realities of life. It would be sheer cowardice to flee into the world of death. No doubt death too is a reality of life but as long as one is alive the battle ought to be fought courageously in the so to say, I was ever a fighter, so one fight more in the Browningian sense.
Humanism, infallibly, strikes the keynote of the poems in the collection. Being a thorough humanist poet Mahendra Bhatnagar time and again stresses on the importance of human relationships in this ephemeral universe. 'Initiative' is a long poem devoted to this subject.Mahendra Bhatnagar is mindful of the fact that to maintain human relationships
It is desirable
To have a softly
Flowing stream
Of patience and peace.
It is only then that the bonds of affection and fraternity are strengthened between man and man. Mutual understanding is the very basis of the 'single family' of mankind. In a country like India even one's name has the potency of creating apprehension, mistrust suspicion and animosity for the name spells out one's religion or one's caste. The poet eagerly anticipates a time to come when names do not bear one's clan or religion. After all at the root we are all human beings created by the same Divine Power.
In the contemporary scenario of uncertainty and suffering the emotion of love turns out to be a boon'A gift, life-like!' Love reiterates words of comfort and solace having the inert potency to subdue the onslaughts of misfortune. Such feelings of oneness and brotherhood are to be treasured forever. Hence the poet states emphatically:
The feeling of love and affection
Alone
Is the best choice in the creation!
The above lines anticipate Matthew Arnold, who in spite of his cynical attitude to life believed in the creative power of love exhorting, Ah! Love let us be true to one another. .
Two poems in the collection bearing the same title, that is, 'Passion and Compassion' re-establish the fact that only passion and compassion for human beings can make the tempestuous journey of life endurable. Bonds of affection, according to the poet, are the strongest to keep humanity together. To quote the poet :
Let the waving wick of love
Go on burning
In both of our hearts!
Let the mutual emotion
And compassion
Of our living souls
Go on cherishing!
The positive emotion of love takes away 'the sting of loneliness' from human existence more so when one has become old and lost his so called utility in society. The poet's heart reaches the suffering humanity simultaneously intensifying his desire to do something concrete and worthwhile for mankind.
While pondering upon the paucity of passion and compassion in this world Mahendra Bhatnagar is invariably compelled to take into account the existing selfishness, materialism and all round corruption in life. He is extremely agonized to note that political leaders, the representatives of the masses fail to be their well wishers and prefer to become usurpers. These leaders are not at all abashed to be enjoying the comforts and pleasures derived from ill begotten gains while
There are people,
Thirsty and starved, weak, dispossessed. .. .scared
Illiterate,
Oppressed, unorganized
Exploited/Deceived And suspicious!
The poem 'Distressed' is a dismal portraiture of a poor man's plight during floods when everything has been washed away by heavy rains ironically enough the ministers and leaders fly over in aircrafts for an aerial view. The heartlessness of such leaders and their sycophants is further accentuated in 'Victory Celebration'.' Usurpers' records the poet's utter sense of dismay at those who rejoice after looting and grabbing what does not really belong to them. Then they very arrogantly forge documents to make it all their own legal possessions .With a heavy heart the poet seeks a solution to this reality of contemporary life. He writes:
Is there any medicine
For this
Contagious social disease?
True enough to grab and to usurp what belongs to others is indeed an incurable contagious disease. Such people lose their 'human identity',
How much the man,
Has become selfish!
He is happy
Getting a little profit
By selling his integrity!
The poet reminds us of the fact that this deception has existed in every age; man is inextricably bound to the 'cruel wheel of exploitation!' Yet he steadfastly believes that those who uphold equality will never accept defeat. He anticipates a change in the offing. Mahendra Bhatnagar thereby emerges as an ardent patriot entreating the readers to share his concern for bleeding India, sanguinely envisioning a gradual change for the barriers of fortitude may give way any day.
Mahendra Bhatnagar's painting a doleful picture of hypocrisy and corruption in no way brands him as a poet of pessimism. Inspite of these crude realities of life the poet advocates hope and optimism. In 'Change in Environment' he visualizes a new socioeconomic order in the future when
Those exploited and oppressed
Have awakened,
And have become the architect
Of a new age!
He is sure that the 'wheel of human progress' will always move forward, never backwards. An awakening is the need of the hour. He confidently exhorts the people
Let your heart
Be in high spirits
And your search for
Your goal should not stop!
Dejection and frustration lead to the ultimate doom of mankind. In the poem 'Enlightenment' the poet admits that the bitter experiences of life have taught him innumerable lessons. He has gained maturity and has realized the meanness of men, But then men have to live/with mutual understanding for the poet visualizes the world as a single family. The realities of life make one wiser and tougher. The artificially created barriers of caste and creed also have to be dismantled enabling joys and sorrows to be shared, completely annihilating the feelings of alienation. The poet's optimism is based on passion and compassion for mankind.Mahendra Bhatnagar curtly suggests the solution to this enigma in something as elementary as the inculcation of humaneness in every citizen of India.
Mahendra Bhatnagar may well be termed as the poet of feelings as thematically his poems are steeped in feelings and emotions. Stylistically also the poet makes use of appropriate sensuous images to give deeper meaning to his thoughts. Several poems exhibit the warmth of the poet's heart. The befitting application of imagery is noteworthy for it appends flavour and gusto to the poet's expression. Nature imagery finds unforgettable and original metaphorical expressions such as roar of clouds, cool water showers, rustling breeze, etc. Personifications abound, while some poems are exquisitely pictorial, vivid and realistic. A fine juxtaposition of symbols, images and metaphors, successfully transports the reader into the poet's world.
The appropriate use of words and phrases reveals Mahendra Bhatnagar's ability to be a conscious artist and a meticulous craftsman. The subtle use of words not only enhances the emotional appeal of the poems but also gratifies the aesthetic sense of the readers. The poet unhesitatingly engages irony and satire while graphically exposing the hypocrisy of the national leaders of today.Mahendra Bhatnagar flagellates smarting criticism against time serving politicians, simultaneously acerbating his personal agony at the miserable plight of his fellow beings in poems like 'Distressed' and 'Usurpers'.
Thematically speaking, the poems of Bhatnagar are not at all skeptical and defeatist though they enumerate the seamy side of life. His is the minute observation of a realist backed by his rich personal experiences. Each poem in the collection is conclusive in itself and the overall message by the poet vacillates around the spirit of action, the expectation of progression and faith in oneself leading to optimism, stoicism and sanguinity. These poems are undoubtedly steeped in extreme signification for modem man who is, forever, contending, and disconcerted, perplexed tending to be a schizoid. The optimistic scholium of the poet will certainly provide the urgently necessitous men relaxation to the readers in general and an aurea mediocritus to the anomie coeval soci, for eventual endurance in particular.
Carlyle stated that poetry is not merely a criticism of life; it is the very truth of life, very essence of man's sublime quest for reaching the kingdom of eternal bliss. This statement about poetry stands true for the poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar.His poems are not just a criticism of life around him but they culminate in the very essence of life, perennial quest for truth which would in turn lead to eternal bliss.Mahendra sBhatnagar's poetry is spontaneous for it is indeed, the voice of his soul. His poetry leads one out of the shades of mystery into the light of knowledge of eternity. Good poetry reveals the poet's attitude towards life. It is the transcript of the poet's thought and feelings with regard to a particular aspect of human life. Critics by common consent hold that good poetry should deal with the experiences of life in such a way that it inspires man to subsist nobly, a dictum well applicable to the poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar.Through aphoristic phraseology and pithy metaphors, he has successfully painted his ideas and experiences of life so that others may benefit as well without any reservations because the pain and suffering about which the poet writes are universal in nature but are also surmountable.
(1) PASSION AND COMPASSION / 1
All things are forgotten ...
Except
Those moments of passion
Soaked in intimacy
And those experienced moments
Of the blazing flames of relationships!
The bonds of affection
Among men
Are the living commitments
Which bind them together
In their common path.
They are only remembered!
Forever.
Now and then
They shower upon
An awakened lonely moment of night
Caught in the grip of pain,
And in the sinking weary heart,
Heavy and detached,
Turning into tears
Divine.
(2) AFFECTION
They are neither rare
Nor precious
Not at all available
On earth or in heaven
Tears ... of unique love,
Of the soul
Of expanse unfathomable!
A dark cloud of tears surges
From the deep undiscovered
Pilgrimage of the heart,
And then ...
At that moment when
The splendour of holy feelings
Spreads on the face
Both eyes filled with tears,
The edge of the sari1 wipes them away!
1 Length of cloth worn by Indian women.
(3) REALITY
No end
Of the path
We keep on walking!
Darkness
Spread out on far off lands
Never becomes less
Even a little!
Like a flickering lamp
Day and night
We keep on burning!
Only a few moments
Are left for me
All of a sudden on any day
The throbbing of the heart will stop!
Knowingly all
We keep on deceiving death!
At each and every step
How can one find his goals?
In life
There are only heaps of pebbles,
Where are pearls?
(4) A MOMENT
A moment
Only a moment
Snatches away
Life
All of a sudden!
Yes, only a moment!
Every moment
Has its own mysterious meaning,
It creates
Its own whole history.
Again and again.
That is why it is essential
You live every moment to the fullest
Before
It crushes your existence!
Proclaiming its importance!
Every moment
Slips away silently
In a similar measured pace
Inscribing
Countless mishaps!
(5) CONTINUITY
Becoming indifferent ...
In seclusion,
On the experiences of my life
When I brood on peacefully
I peep through
My inner past
Extinct
Hazy pictures,
Relevant or irrelevant
Devoid of any harmony,
Order broken
Emerge disorderly!
Then all of a sudden
Taking a turn on my own accord
I return
To the present!
To the entanglements of earthly life!
(6) NAY
Well,
How one can be
A stranger
In a crowd!
Well,
How can one bear
The sting of loneliness
In a surging crowd!
Well,
How one can say
His word to anyone
In the noise
Of countless voices!
(7) EXPECTATION
Now and then at least
Someone shall love us!
In a life of loneliness
Absolutely desolate,
In a life
Thrown out forcibly
In a deep well,
In a life that suffered
Merciless blows and assaults,
At least
Someone shall like us,
Applaud us!
At least let us get
Good wishes
Or goodwill of someone!
In curse - scorched world
In sorrow spread all around
Someone should be sympathetic
Some time ever!
In an intense electrified
Suffocating atmosphere
When the unrest resounds
Heart rending
Shriek and scream,
Burning in flames
The ruined life
Confined in a prison!
In those disastrous moments
A desire springs up
That someone shall like us,
Well,
Now and then!
(8) EVER DEPRIVED
All my life
I was alone,
Unseen
Ever neglected,
Totally ignored!
All my life,
On my own strength
I have borne
The raids of storms!
All my life
An imbroglio
Remained stationary
as before!
All my life
I bore unbearable
Agony and pain!
To anyone
Never I did say
Any word for help!
I burnt myself
In the fire of curse!
I could not find anyone
Who can soothe
My oozing wounds
Even for a while
The rapid hailstorm
Never stopped!
Alone
I wandered
In the realm of dearth
In home,
in cities and in villages!
Here and there
I don't know when and where!
(9) LIVELY
I stay on amassing pain!
O, I stay on
Amassing how much grief!
I stay on
Amassing pain and grief
Of many-manys years!
I was awake throughout nights
I was awake throughout days
I was awake throughout my life
I stay on
Wrapping up my body
With much dirt and brownish dust!
My feet got stuck in the mire.
Serpents coiled around
My neck and ankles,
I am bound by cobras
Black and venomous!
I stay on
Spreading fire on my bed!
Dhain-dhain
Shooting out flames of fire
Keeping it ablaze!
(10) VIOLATION
Faith in perpetual relations
Yes, the faith of many a birth
Turns meaningless
All of a sudden!
O the sense of belonging
Piled up for many an year
Vanishes in a moment!
When the dam
Of ethical self-restriction
Breaks down
Like playing cards,
The charged electric wires,
That wind
The self imposed boundaries
Suddenly become lifeless!
Boundaries vanish,
The legs resting,
The legs trembling and faltering
Begin to leap forward!
Pure worship,
The hard acquired devotion
Is breached!
The virtuous actions
Turn shallow,
The so called truthful pledges
Get falsified,
All the pledges and promises
Become meaningless!
And
Love becomes a synonym
For extreme selfishness!
Definitions of sin and virtue
Change
Their opinion,
Deception
Of the union of souls
In its naked form,
In its real form
Descends!
Iron pillars of restraint
Break and tumble down,
The girders of discretion
Displaced
Are swept away
Like blades of grass!
When the seism of lust
Or of 'ardent love'
Makes whole body tremble,
Every strong pivot
Of the mind totters!
Then, the man forgets
His past, present and future!
(11) PREMONITIONS
We have left
Far behind
The half burnt corpses
Of love-relationships
and enmities!
Screaming
and rolling restlessly
For ages
The dying sound
has become silent.
By this time
The dried up remnants
Might have been lost
In the air!
Swept away
In countless
rains!
I didn't return
Since my departure!
Then
Why the
ghostly shadow
Stares at me?
Perhaps,
It is
the ultimate end
Of my whole existence!
Every volcano
On one day
Has to cool down!
Has to disappear
Forever!
(12) ASCETIC
The people
Are dejected so much that
They commit suicide
In the state of their restlessness!
Or
lose the balance
Of their body and mind!
And in their perturbed mood
They weep without a reason!
They laugh without a reason!
But
Until now you are
Steady, self centered, calm, alive
And balanced!
In fact
For him, who had lived asceticism
There is no difference
Between dying and living!
For him
There is no difference
Beween
Drinking poison or nectar!
(13) SUBSTANCE
O
Why you are wonder-struck
When you are of no use
To anyone
Why should anyone
Come to you?
Keep quiet,
Bear everything!
Lie down
Suffer patiently
Here or there!
Let someone listen to
Your experiences
Let someone listen to
Your tale
No time is there
For anyone!
Useless
To expect it
From anyone!
It is better
If you write
On the walls of an empty room,
If you portray
Your heart
In different colours!
Perhaps, someone at some moment
May read or ponder over!
Or
You put
Your tragic tale
In any recording deck
In your own voice!
Perhaps, someone may listen
At sometime!
But
Be assured
The stink
May not spread anywhere
Hence at once, be assured
Surely the people
Burying you in pit
Or entombing you
Or
giving you a pompous burning
Orderly
Turn you into ashes!
Orderly
They will complete
The last ritual
Certainly!
(14) CONCLUSION
Logical thinking
On pros and cons
Is essential
(As far as possible).
Discussion should be mature
Whatever time it may take.
For judging substance
Profound thinking,
Logic and investigation
Are essential
From every angle desired.
For whatever happened
In life
Is stable forever
Not even a chance given
For the rectification of mistakes.
Impossible to change
The past deeds
Even a little.
It's true
You yourself are
The doer and the judge
But not the controller
You are detached
From the outcome or result
(Helplessness)
Proved it is
Life : a test difficult,
At every moment
A test, difficult.
Keep on observing
Count every breath
Accept and adopt
That lies before you!
(15) COMPARISON
Life
Is not a book
So that
It can be written / composed
In a planned way
After profound thinking!
Its contents
May be divided into
Successive chapters
Carefully,
Heart touching contexts
May be sorted out!
By self-experience and practice
It may be moulded
Into beautiful and artistic form,
Making it radiant
In the glare of craftsmanship
Devoid of laxity
And burdensomeness!
The tale of life
By itself accomplished or gets spoiled
And never links the preceding !
Who knows
What is going to happen
What is going to be moulded
And mended
When everything
Gets spoiled with a jolt!
In the tale-flow of life
Nothing is pre-planned
Nothing is desirable or undesirable
No premonition,
No effort and no exertion!
Well thought over
Moves of chess
Begin to move
Like a defective computer,
And deceives
Even the controller,
Then the stake won almost
Turns into defeat!
Or at once
The vanished present
Descends from that very sequence
Once again
Like the result of an earthquake
Like its very form as before!
(16) EXPERIENCE
What have I done?
Throughout my life
Except doing
strange foolish things,
Except paying
The debt imposed
by society?
Mistakes done
Plenty of mistakes done,
I missed
I missed every time!
Let me say like this
I lived;
But
Have I learnt
the way of living?
(Have I practiced the style of hypocrisy!)
And now
when everything happened
And perished
I am wonder-struck,
Too much wonder-struck!
I am a destitute of wisdom!
I trusted
people,
Close to me
Blindly I trusted them!
And the rascals
Have looted
My entire home and hearth,
And destroyed
The beauty and embellishments
of life!
They were hypocrites, masks,
They were spurious
In the garb of truth,
Strange and wonderful!
At the fag end of my life,
At the stage of catastrophe,
Nearly at the end
of the play,
When I stood face to face
Before the truth
Hung on the cross
I have experienced
Countless electric shocks
Dangerous sparks!
My body and mind
Crushed
By twisting pain!
All are amazing
Everything is peculiar!
Where is my existence?
Only is my statue
Dumb and lifeless!
Now
What is left out
except
Tasting the bitter juice of repentance?
The world
Does not possess
Even a little
shame and modesty
Either in the past
Or in the present.
(17) DELIGHT
Clouds have overcast
Clouds have overspread!
Lightning flashed
All around,
The earth
Emits sweet fragrance!
Since ages
The earth
Was alone
In separation dry
Bored and restless,
Became Suhagin1
Blessed with union
With her dear cloud,
And the empty sky
Reverberated
With the roar of clouds!
Rain has started
Rain has started!
The thick clouds
auspicious
Began to surge,
The bright blackish beauty
Spread all around!
A bride,
Swinging in joyful mood
Visited each and every house
And sung Kajli2 folk-song
In tunes melodious.
Clouds have spread
Rain has started!
1 Woman whose husband is alive.
2 A folk-song sung in an indigenous month of Bhadon by village-women of India.
(18) ATTACHMENT
As the day breaks
Little and gentle birds
Wake and get rise me up
Flying, peeping curiously
And chirping melodiously
Through doors and windows!
When the night falls
Now and then
Crickets and frogs
Make me sleep
From ponds nearby,
By their incessant singing,
Make me wander
And take me to those
New realms of fancy!
Throughout the day
The blue sky, formless and infinite
Bewitches me
Through its colourful scenes!
Throughout the night
How much
the moonlight
Sleeping on the bed of the sky
Covered by a bed sheet
Imprinted
with beautiful silvery-golden stars,
Charms me how much!
She invites me to sleep in her lap.
How I can run away
From such a beloved?
How can I leave the earth
So charming and captivating!
(19) BEWITCHED
You are a deep puzzle,
O, creeper jasmine!
From where
you brought
Such fascinating fragrance
In your flowers / in your body!
O the fair coloured !
O the glittering coloured!
O my companion,
soft and delicate!
From where
you have snached / stolen
Such bewitching beauty!
Whenever
I experience
This fragrance,
Outer and inner
Of the body and soul
I forget
Worldliness
And my own existence!
For some moments
I lose myself
in this world
I submit myself
Before you
With devotion utmost!
The fragrant one!
The beautiful one!
You the creeper jasmine!
(20) BREEZE
O My dear Breeze,
Pleasant, fragrant
and intoxicated!
Flow towards me
Slowly and gently!
Sprinkle
Cool water showers
On my
body and mind!
O My dear Breeze,
Waving
and intoxicating!
Without any hesitation
You advance
And get a warm touch
of my body!
O rustling breeze,
Pouring forth
Sweet utterances and melodies!
Convey to my ears
An unheard secret
Of your mind
Calmly and silently!
Come!
Overwhelm me!
Now
Come to my embrace
Breaking the bonds of shyness,
And get attached to me
In a life-long bond!
(21) WILLING TO LIVE
Suddenly
Today, when I saw you
I want to live further!
Passing through
The solitary path of life
Long and difficult,
Burning every moment,
In the realty of life
And in its blazing flames,
Suddenly
Today,
When I saw you
I want to drink
A bit more of poison!
In this life
Brimming with bitterness
I want to live further!
Until now
O worldly delight!
Where were you?
O you the lotus -blue !
(22) PASSION AND COMPASSION / 2
You
Create music [rhythm]
in heart,
I
Will sing
The song of life!
In this way
Let our age go on
dwindling,
Let the throbbing breaths
In our hearts
Move on!
Let the waving wick of love
Go on burnig
In both of our hearts!
Let the mutual emotion
And compassion
Of our living souls
Go on cherishing!
You
Tell a story
Of enchanting love,
Listening which
I
Can sleep
Peacefully!
for a while!
And lose myself
In sweet and charming dreams
Forsaking my
Entire grief!
You
Make your tears of love
Overflow towards me,
I
Will make
The splendour of heaven
To stoop down
At your feet!
(23) BOON
Reminded I am
Of your love!
On one day
You, on your own accord
Bestowed upon me
A world of silvery beauty and charm!
Eye-catching festoons!
Were decorated
At each and every door!
Reminded I am
Of your love
A gift, life-like!
(24) REMEMBRANCE
Reminded I am
Of your words of solace!
Broken
By fatal blows of misfortune
I came to you
To get consolation
In your lap!
O My sweet maiden
Brimming with compassion
And with unbridled emotion
At once
On your own accord
You have fallen in love with me!
You have filled
My wounded and poisoned heart
With your sweet
sugar-candy lke words of peace!
Now you stand before me
And look at me
Opening the doors of your heart!
Beloved!
Reminded I am
Of your charming words of consolation!
(25) PRETEXT
I am remided of
Your fake sulkiness!
To feel the happiness
Of persuasion
To fill the boring moments
Burdened by monotony
With ever new
Matchless
Colours of life,
I am reminded
Of your fake sulkiness!
To behold
Again and again
The past love
Of many a birth,
And through this pretext
To keep the auspicious lamp
Of our spiritual union
On the threshold!
I am reminded
Of your fake sulkiness!
I like very much
Your fake sulkiness full of love
Of bygone days!
(26) TO A DISTANT PERSON
Your recollection
is enough
For spending the rest of my life
Happily!
Never
Diminish the feelings
Of your rememberance,
The pangs of your separation
Are enough!
Until today
I have kept with care
The trust-treasure of your feelings
In my mind.
For living long
It is enough
Only to render them
Into sweet songs!
(27) PERCEPTION
Forget that
We met
Ever!
All the pictures painted
Were mere dreams!
Forget
The colours,
The blooms,
The streams of desires
Experienced
Gushing through
The body and the mind!
Forget
Every past moment,
And the music and the song
Sung and heard!
(28) THE GOOD
The feeling of love and affection
Alone
Is the best choice in the creation!
The feeling of love and affection
Of man
In the world of men
In the all human society!
Let the entire compassion
Of man remain
Amidst all living beings!
It alone
Is the great best worship!
Let every man
of the world
Indulge
Always / ceaselessly
In this pure best worship!
Let only this desire,
Simple, candid, innocent, guileless
Spring
In each and every man!
(29) SENSIBILITY
Alas, had I cleansed my face with tears,
Had I sown the seeds of love in my mind,
Had I lost my joy and wealth
For the wellbeing of the unfortunate humanity!
(30) TWO POLES
Human society
Is clearly divided into
The competent / And the helpless!
On one side
Are corrupt political parties
And their wicked followers,
Enriched by comfortable facilities
And they are happy
Amassing gold and riches.
They are easy going ,
And masters and sycophants!
They have bungalows, / Brothels,
Undergrounds and bunkers ;
They are enjoying
All sorts of rare gifts,
Amazement, astonishments!
On the other side
There are people,
Thirsty and starved, weak, dispossessed ... scared
Illiterate,
Oppressed, unorganized
Busy in work
In the fields and villages, / On the roads and in cities,
Exploited / Deceived / And suspicious!
(31) DISTRESSED
The rain
Does not stop
Even for a while,
Never gives
Even a bit of relief
To those villages and localities
Submerged under water!
As a matter of fact,
A calamity
Has befallen this year,
Deva, stood aloof,
Calm and dumb-founded!
His mud-hut,
Thatched roof collapsed,
Only, his household goods
Turned upside down!
Flour and pulses
Were swept away,
Deva, remained hungry!
Firewood soaked,
Earthen hearth will not light up
In the kitchen
Other things remaining
Were floating..
Roaring aircrafts in the sky
Like flying vultures!
Perhaps
The leaders / ministers
Have arrived
To have a stroll!
Mourning spread all around
In the North and the South
And in the East and the West!
Grievous is that
The rain didn't stop!
(32) VICTORY CELEBRATION
The fondling leader of the party
Has arrived at the airport
on a special plane.
The favourite leader
Of the congress party
Has arrived at the railway station
By 'Shatabdy Express'1,
The victorious leader
Of the party
Has arrived by
'A-C Ambassador'
The crowds in thousands
Shouting
Hurrah-hurrah!
Have arrived
To take part in triumphal cheers
And to blow singa2,
to beat kettledrum, to play tom-tom
vigorously!
They are the herds
Of useless domestic 'goats',
Of the harmless stupid 'sheep'
draped in shawls,
Of stout wild 'boars',
And of scared and coward 'jackals'.
Uttering 'mae-mae' like goats,
Growling like pigs,
Crying like jackals!
They shout -
'loot'-'loot',
'Shoot'-'shoot'
.. the opponent!
They celebrate the victory
Of their 'Gabbar'3 leader!
1 Name of a train.
2 A musical instrument.
3 A dacoit in the Hindi flim 'Shole'.
(33) SURPRISE
How much the man
Has become selfish!
He is happy
Getting a little profit
By selling his integrity!
He has voted
For Satan
Taking a few bucks,
He didn't know
The meaning of 'self-respect'
And happily swallows insult!
To please the ministers
He stands in front of them
Like a puppet lifeless,
Looks like an unfamiliar one
He lost his
Human identity!
(34) THE DREAM OF EQUALITY
World history
is the witness
In every age only those,
Who offered their lives
To the blazing flames
Of deficiencies,
Had burnt their youth
Since generations
In fighting injustice
And in changing the system,
Only they
Were deceived
In every age,
And were crushed
Continuously
In every age
Caught
In the cruel wheel of exploitation!
Inequality
Went on
Increasing
More and more,
The economic gap
Went on widening!
The rich became more resouceful,
The poor became poorer
Having no monetary importance
Losing more and more
Became nervous
And miserable!
But
The world history
Is the witness
The sense of equality
Among men,
Will not be dormant,
And never admits defeat!
It never falters
Without reaching its goal
And the man,
Even for a moment
Will neither go astray nor move away
On the path of equality
Being hindered
And becoming helpless!
(35) USURPERS
Rascals
They are ready
To deceive,
To cheat the weak
And the straight-forward!
Rascals they are
They hide
In an ambush
nearby
To deliver deadly assaults!
Rascals they are
Frauds, hypocrites,
vigilant
Ready to grab,
To loot, to steal,
To show cunningness
Or
to indulge
in direct fist-attacks!
Rascals they are
They grab property
Legally inherited
from ancestors
And other belongings
Squander wealth
Squander wealth
Using their polluted mind,
Turning arrogant,
impudent,
And fearless!
And are preparing
Fake documents.
What a wonder!
What an amazing wonder!
(36) VISION
O you, the vanquished
In the bitter struggle of life!
O you, beaten by misfortune
At every step!
Don't mourn
helplessly,
Dense darkness spread all around.
Don't lose your spirit!
Treat your defeat
As a prior intimation to your victory,
Treat the darkness
As the background of sunrise!
Let this dam of faith
not crack!
Let this dream of new age
not break!
Let this thread of feeling
not be loosened!
(37) CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT
How much
The season has changed!
New looks
All around!
The dream
Which was foreseen
Has become true,
We have our grip
On our life
And on our fortunes!
The measure of equality
We have adopted
Has flourished
And expanded beyond limits!
That laid the foundation
For a new socio-economic order!
Those exploited and oppressed
Have awakened,
And have become the architects
Of a new age!
The sky echoed by the slogans
Of the feelings of equality!
How much
The season has changed!
(38) TRANSITION
Now
The earth is ours,
The Sky is ours!
Look
The sun rose
And the light has spread
All around!
Have full confidence,
We will be free
Forever!
This wheel of human-progress
Never turns back
History is the witness!
This
Metaphysical knowledge,
Testified by experiment,
Is with us!
(39) PRAYER
O sun,
The blazing red sun!
Fill
My dejected heart
With the fire of life!
Give smartness to my body,
Inactive and tired,
And make it move forward!
Remove
The spread out
Snow and thick darkness
With your dazzling golden sunshine!
O sun,
The blazing red sun!
(40) AWAKENING
Neither I was disappointed / nor dejected!
It is true
All my efforts were useless.
I could not succeed,
But I am
Not at all restless!
At every time
Let the blows of defeat
Become a source of your strength,
Let your mind, engaged in work,
Be filled always
With virility and vigour!
Let your heart
Be in high spirits
And your search for
Your goal not stop!
Let your search for
The object of your longing
Should not stop
At any time, at any cost!
Certainly , doomed you are
If you are dejected!
Ruined you are
If you are frustrated!
(41) PLEASURE GIVING
In lands far off and nearby
I have searched and found
My co-believers and co-workers.
And in a mysterious way
Every limb of my body
Is tied to them naturally
By unbreakable strings,
From all the four sides
By strong threads!
Now, am I alone?
Today, how big
My family has become
All of a sudden!
While departing
In what measure
This love, pure and intense,
Has showered on my soul
Giving it a splendid bath!
In abundance!
The empty lake of my heart
Is brimming full with ripples
From all the sides!
(42) CHANGE
Change the direction
Of the wind!
Blowing towards
towns and villages,
Carrying the stench
Of decaying carcasses!
Beware of it
And change the direction
Of the blowing wind,
Burdened
By poisonous alcoholic gases
And hangs around in the sky
Above the towns and villages!
(43) ESCAPE
What wind is blowing!
When everyone
Thinks only
of his own interest,
Usurps
the share of others,
Whatever they may
suffer agonies !
When everyone
Cuts off
the bones of others
And snatches them,
To enrich himself!
Is there any medicine
For this
Contagious social
disease?
What wind is blowing!
(44) INITIATIVE
If
It is desirable
To have a softly
flowing stream
Of patience and peace
In the nervous,
Scared and tormented
Localities / Cities / All countries,
If
It is desirable
To have bonds of affection and fraternity
Between man and man,
Then
The man,
Caught and lost
In the caves
Of irrational blind beliefs,
Has to become a modern human being,
He has to create
A new sociology
Suited to his age!
He has to build
A new and lofty
Human civilization
On the ground of scientific thought
Forsaking
All irrelevant and hollow
Religious owls
And their ostentations.
He has to advance
In a new direction
With full dedication
In the new light!
He has to mould himself
In his natural form
Accepting the best
Human relations.
With utmost confidence
He has to move forward
Continuously and tirelessly
On the path
Of eternal peace!
He has to establish
'The eternal truth of humanity'
In the place of
Imagined divine power!
Men have to live
With mutual understanding
Knowing and accepting
That the entire universe
Is a single family!
Struggling with
The contemporary challenges
He has to opt for
The reality of life!
He has to brood over
The passionate feelings and thoughts
Of each and every man!
(45) MARVELOUS
Why a man
With love
and affection
Never looks at a man
Belonging to other religion?
He considers him as an alien
And very often
Treats him as his foe!
Oh, finding an occasion
He never hesitates
To trouble him
And wants
To uproot him!
At his very sight
He feels
Tension,
A dense cloud of malice
Spreads
All around!
How it happens?
Why it happens?
What a sort of man is he?
O, a wonderful man
How is he?
Well, Ah! Miracle
He belongs to an unique religion!
Really
Like death,
He is dreadful and abhorrent!
He who believes
And thinks
The people of other religions
Merely
Insignifcant!
(46) DREAM
Some Bhatnagar,
Insane and crazy,
Has killed
The honourable Prime Minister .....
By shooting at him!!
When the news spread
Suddenly
People gathered around me ....
'He is Bhatnagar,
Kill ... kill this bloody fellow!
He is a murderer ... a murderer!'
I explained them very much,
I explained to them
In a screaming voice
'Brothers, I am not 'The Bhatnagar'
Of that kind!
O it is my actual name,
But not my surname!
I am
'Mahendrabhatnagar' or 'Mahendra',
I am not 'Bhatnagar' or 'Vatnagar',
Brothers, never!
Just, you think
And understand me a little!
But, when the crowd thinks?
When it listens to truth or logic?
All the people pounced on me
And turned my house into ashes!!
Let history testify
Who
When and where
Has suffered this horror?
Has endured this tyranny?
When and where
In such a mood of beastliness
The human society
Losing its way
Has gone out of bounds ?
Why
Our dynasty, / Our religion
Is linked to names,
Pen names or nick names?
Let someone say in a natural way
I am a Christian or a Muslim
Or a Hindu
[One of the 'karyasthas' 1
'a great fool a shudra'2]
Let him say
That 'my name is - Mahendrabhatnagar',
In which is hidden
Neither my clan nor my religion!
[No secret whatsoever!]
So it is not right to say
'What is there in a name!'
Or
'Don't ask the caste of a Sadhu3
O Kabir4!
Will someone will comply
With your word?
After all,
When someone will accept your word?
In an 'educated' society,
In a 'civilized and well cultured society'
How much secure is the man?
How much insecure is the man?
O all knowing Almighty,
Give the witness truthful!
(47) REALISM
Living life
Is difficult, unbearable
And burdensome!
As if
It is a dreadful ride
On two boats!
There is a saw,
Poison smeared and double edged,
There is a sharpened dagger
Close to the throat!
There is a noose around the neck,
Bewildered at every time!
Running and fighting
All around!
The full-moon night
Has vanished,
And only the dense darkness
Has spread everywhere!
Living life
Is a compulsion!
Too much burdensome!
(48) PLAYER
I am running
Without a pause,
I am running
Untired and constantly!
Day and night,
Night and day
Panting and bewildered,
Now and then
Falling
And rising,
Yet I keep on running
In quick succession!
[with a crash!]
It looks
Keep on running ceaselessly
All my life
Is my fate only!
I am running constantly
Breaking the limitations
Of the time fixed!
Without competing with anyone
Absolutely alone!
Look
How I am running
Fast
And faster!
I am swimming,
Swimming without a pause
Day and night
Night and day
Jerking and pushing
Both my hands and legs
Here and there
Without giving up,
I keep on swimming
Disgorging foam
Again and again!
It is not a cool
Olympic swimming pool,
But a boiling hot water tank
Emitting fumes!
On its chest
Look
How I am swimming
Disorderly
In utter disarray!
No other swimmer
Is there nearby,
I am swimming alone
In a wavy motion
Like a fish!
Now it looks
It may not be safe,
My legs and hands
May turn stiff and and stiffer!
Yet
Still, surely
I keep on swimming!
Keep on swimming!
For
I have seen very well
Corpses were afloat
On the fleeting waves!
Jumping repeatedly
High and long,
I keep on leaping and jumping
Day in and day out,
Like a ball
I keep on rebounding
Again and again!
Like a blockhead
I keep on jumping and leaping
Returning
Again ana again!
I have broken
The earliar records.
It looks
The scales will be small!
I am lifting the weights
One after another,
Weighty and weightier
And taking them
Here and there
To far off places
From one room to another room,
From one house to another house,
From one village to another village,
From one city to another city,
From the blazing deserts
To the icy lands
And from plains
To the high mountain terrains!
Yet
The realm of high heavens
Shudders by my roaring,
The world of the dead
Is scared to see my form!
Certain it is
Every heart attack
Will be defeated
And every paralysis
Will be crippled
By the soul immortal!
Industrious am I
Will keep on living,
Will remain
Brim with life
Free and liberated!
(49) ATTRIBUTE
It is
The man -
Who can face
any disaster!
He plays fearlessly
With the strong blows
of hostile storms
And with dreadful reverse currents!
The fast moving
chariot of his life
Never stops,
Though got struck
Or caught somewhere!
He, at once,
With the power of his intellect
Or with the might of his arms
Pushes it aside
Without getting tired or defeated!
It is the man
Restrained,
Who can face
All calamities!
(50) ENLIGHTENMENT
Bitter experiences,
Have given me
Maturity!
The meanness of man
Has taught me
How to live rightly!
Ingratitude
Has revealed to me
The secret of life
Liberating me
From the spell
