Abhimanyu

My chest is strangled by an unknown pain,
My shoulders wilt under a wrenching strain
My horses tremble like desolate deers,
Amidst a rising mist of fear

At a distance stand the enemy’s line,
With rabid tongues, bloody eyes,
Rage in their growling spiteful breaths,
Stoke tempest, in an arc of death

The circle of death that none could vanquish,
Save son of Kunti, and the Lord himself,
Usurp I may, but I may not assume,
That this be not my certain doom

The greatest warriors on this earth
Stand in front of my forlorn path
What with the naivety of my youth,
To save the king from the enemy’s wrath?

Have I seen my folly too late?
Now a mere gambit of fate
I've come unwitting to my final place.
Vasudeva, is this thy final grace?

***

"Oh son of Arjuna, fear not to act,
Let not delusions of fear distract,
Sure, your course is strewn with peril,
But look through it, for the end tranquil"

"Your enemy is sin, not mortal men -
Misguided worldly impediments,
Who wish in vain to hold your way,
And change the fated end of this day."

"Let not your senses weaken your soul,
Let your actions be your goal,
Life lived in righteous duty is worth
A thousand lives in fear of death"

"For you were here before you were born,
And be you will, long aft you are gone,
The circle of life won’t cease to be,
You do not perish but be one with me"

"That’s my grace and that’s my word,
That’s the only way of this world,
So, wipe thy brow and lift thy bow,
The earth stands waiting; and the skies above"

***

My mind is still now, my vision is clear,
My senses alive, they know no fear
A wave of vigor now bursts through my frame,
And fills my sinews with force anew

Mother. I thank thee, do give me leave,
Father, be with me, I must be brave
Uncles, have trust, I will succeed,
Lord forgive, I doubted thy creed

Warm rays of the sun and wind caress,
The stubborn stir of my chariot wheels
I hear war trumpets welcoming me
The gates of heaven are beckoning me

***

The circle of life

Through summer, winter and the rains
The earth has come full circle again
Through mighty storms and savage seas
You’ve seen far lands and war and peace
Your bodies are jaded, and your eyes beg of sleep
Not that I miss the sparkle that they keep
Here, let's toast to our journeys and take some rest
And wait to watch the reddening west
Let’s meet here, set sails at day break
For tomorrow, we have another voyage to make

दस्तक

वोह गलियाँ जाने पहचाने से थे,
और वोह दर्द जानी पहचानी सी,
दस्तक देता रहा फिर भी,
हाँ वोह खामोशी भी पहचानी सी थी...

The Mosquito and the Yogi

The yogi held his breath with dread

He knew too well the hum that he heard

“Oh no not now!!” he almost begged,

As the frightful needle kissed his nose

Upside down in the delicate pose,

He tried to stay calm and sought some sense,

As a shock spread out from his nose till his toes,

And blood oozed out from his throbbing cells

His limbs held back for his brain’s dictate

Like arrows eager to fly off bows

As he asked himself if he should wait,

“Should I wage war or keep the truce?”

At length, he heard a voice speak,

Calm and clear from across the hills,

Like a tranquil wind that sternly seemed

To hold the reins of his senses still,

“It’s wrong for a yogi to lose restraint,

Wise men of yore have thus ordained,

It’s his duty to keep his pose,

Whether earth rolls or storm blows”

The voice came nearer, in tranquil gait,

“Let not your mind be frail, nor your poise weak,

Be not tempted by distractions that bait,

Large or little, even the air that you breathe”

Begging to differ was a hoarse voice,

That seemed to grunt through hard-clenched teeth,

“What use is your control and all your poise

If you can’t defend against such malice?”

“Act! the limits of tolerance have reached,

The lines your patience have been breached,

The moves are yours to end this game

Victor or coward? You choose your name!”

His mind swung wild from discourse to discourse

Torn between extremes, he weighed each course

When all that while a pest drank his blood,

“Enough is enough!,” and thus more he said,

“This mischief should be punished

The laws of nature must be obeyed,

Lions must hunt and fish must swim,

This fly must die, it’s time is done!”

With stealthy resolve he lifted his arm,

And slowly brought it in place for strike,

In one swift motion he slapped on his face,

Right at the spot where the insect grazed

His neck shifted on the sudden impact,

His body swayed this way and that,

He tried to stay upright in his fragile stance,

It was soon proving to be a hopeless dance.

The insect’s moves were a little better,

Quick as wind she was out of the way,

Her tricks were sharp and well prepared,

Much unlike her hapless prey

Arms and legs flung wild around,

Bones and joints strained all about,

With a crashing thud, he hit the ground,

The game was up, he’d been knocked out

As he lay injured counting many a star,

All arms and legs and a twisted neck,

He heard faint laughs from voices afar,

And waited, helpless, for the hum was back…