Quest for God

O'ver hill and dale and mountain range,
In temple, church, and mosque,
In Vedas, Bible, Al Koran
I had searched for Thee in vain.

Like a child in the wildest forest lost
I have cried and cried alone,
"Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?
The echo answered, "gone."

And days and nights and years then passed
A fire was in the brain,
I knew not when day changed in night
The heart seemed rent in twain.
I laid me down on Ganges's shore,
Exposed to sun and rain;
With burning tears I laid the dust
And wailed with waters' roar.

I called on all the holy names
Of every clime and creed.
"Show me the way, in mercy, ye
Great ones who have reached the goal."

Years then passed in bitter cry,
Each moment seemed an age,
Till one day midst my cries and groans
Some one seemed calling me.


A gentle soft and soothing voice
That said 'my son' 'my son',
That seemed to thrill in unison
With all the chords of my soul.

I stood on my feet and tried to find
The place the voice came from;
I searched and searched and turned to see
Round me, before, behind,
Again, again it seemed to speak
The voice divine to me.
In rapture all my soul was hushed,
Entranced, enthralled in bliss.

A flash illumined all my soul;
The heart of my heart opened wide.
O joy, O bliss, what do I find!
My love, my love you are here
And you are here, my love, my all!

And I was searching thee -
From all eternity you were there
Enthroned in majesty!
From that day forth, wherever I roam,
I feel Him standing by
O'ver hill and dale, high mount and vale,
Far far away and high.

The moon's soft light, the stars so bright,
The glorious orb of day,
He shines in them; His beauty - might -
Reflected lights are they.
The majestic morn, the melting eve,
The boundless billowing sea,
In nature's beauty, songs of birds,
I see through them - it is He.

When dire calamity seizes me,
The heart seems weak and faint,
All nature seems to crush me down,
With laws that never bend.
Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweet
My love, "I am near", "I am near".
My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,
A thousand deaths no fear.
Thou speakest in the mother's lay
Thou shuts the babies eye,
When innocent children laugh and play,
I see Thee standing by.

When holy friendship shakes the hand,
He stands between them too;
He pours the nectar in mother's kiss
And the baby's sweet "mama".
Thou wert my God with prophets old,
All creeds do come from Thee,
The Vedas, Bible, and Koran bold
Sing Thee in Harmony.

"Thou art," Thou art" the Soul of souls
In the rushing stream of life.
"Om tat sat om." Thou art my God,
My love, I am thine, I am thine.

--- Swami Vivekananda
This was part of the letter written by Swamiji on Sep. 4, 1893 to Prof. J.H. Wright of Boston who introduced Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament of Religions.

The Living God

He who is in you and outside you,
Who works through all hands,
Who walks on all feet,
Whose body are all ye,
Him worship, and break all other idols!

He who is at once the high and low,
The sinner and the saint,
Both God and worm,
Him worship — visible, knowable, real, omnipresent,
Break all other idols!

In whom is neither past life
Nor future birth nor death,
In whom we always have been
And always shall be one,
Him worship. Break all other idols!

Ye fools! who neglect the living God,
And His infinite reflections with which the world is full.

While ye run after imaginary shadows,
That lead alone to fights and quarrels,
Him worship, the only visible!
Break all other idols!

---(Written by Swami Vivekananda to an American friend from Almora, 9th July 1897.)

The Song Of The Free

The wounded snake its hood unfurls,
The flame stirred up doth blaze,
The desert air resounds the calls
Of heart-struck lion's rage.

The cloud puts forth it deluge strength
When lightning cleaves its breast,
When the soul is stirred to its in most depth
Great ones unfold their best.

Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint,
And friendship fail and love betray,
Let Fate its hundred horrors send,
And clotted darkness block the way.

All nature wear one angry frown,
To crush you out - still know, my soul,
You are Divine. March on and on,
Nor right nor left but to the goal.

Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,
Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,
The books do stop in wonder mute
To tell my nature; I am He.

Before the sun, the moon, the earth,
Before the stars or comets free,
Before e'en time has had its birth,
I was, I am, and I will be.

The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,
The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,
Causation's law do make them run;
They live in bonds, in bonds they die.

And mind its mantle dreamy net
Cast o'er them all and holds them fast.
In warp and woof of thought are set,
Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.

Know these are but the outer crust -
All space and time, all effect, cause.
I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,
The witness of the universe.

Not two nor many, 'tis but one,
And thus in me all me's I have;
I cannot hate, I cannot shun
Myself from me, I can but love.

From dreams awake, from bonds be free,
Be not afraid. This mystery,
My shadow, cannot frighten me,
Know once for all that I am He.

--- - written in 1895 by Swami Vivekananda

नर हो न निराश करो मन को

नर हो न निराश करो मन को
कुछ काम करो कुछ काम करो
जग में रहके निज नाम करो
यह जन्म हुआ किस अर्थ अहो
समझो जिसमें यह व्यर्थ न हो
कुछ तो उपयुक्त करो तन को
नर हो न निराश करो मन को ।

संभलो कि सुयोग न जाए चला
कब व्यर्थ हुआ सदुपाय भला
समझो जग को न निरा सपना
पथ आप प्रशस्त करो अपना
अखिलेश्वर है अवलम्बन को
नर हो न निराश करो मन को ।

जब प्राप्त तुम्हें सब तत्त्व यहाँ
फिर जा सकता वह सत्त्व कहाँ
तुम स्वत्त्व सुधा रस पान करो
उठके अमरत्व विधान करो
दवरूप रहो भव कानन को
नर हो न निराश करो मन को ।

निज गौरव का नित ज्ञान रहे
हम भी कुछ हैं यह ध्यान रहे
सब जाय अभी पर मान रहे
मरणोत्तर गुंजित गान रहे
कुछ हो न तजो निज साधन को
नर हो न निराश करो मन को ।

- मैथिलीशरण गुप्त

Friday

Quiet Friday
deserted Friday
Friday saddening like old alleys
Friday of lazy ailing thoughts
Friday of noisome sinuous stretches
Friday of no anticipation
Friday of submission.

Empty house
lonesome house
house locked against the onslaught of youth
house of darkness and fantasies of the sun
house of loneliness, augury and indecision
house of curtains, books, cupboards, picture.

Ah, how my life flowed silent and serene
like a deep-running stream
through the heart of such silent, deserted Fridays
through the heart of such empty cheerless houses
ah, how my life flowed silent and serene.

--- By Forugh Farrokhzad
Translated by Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak. Remembering the Flight: A Parallel Text in English and Persian

The Wind Will Take Us

In my small night, ah
the wind has a date with the leaves of the trees
in my small night there is agony of destruction
listen
do you hear the darkness blowing?
I look upon this bliss as a stranger
I am addicted to my despair.

listen do you hear the darkness blowing?
something is passing in the night
the moon is restless and red
and over this rooftop
where crumbling is a constant fear
clouds, like a procession of mourners
seem to be waiting for the moment of rain.
a moment
and then nothing
night shudders beyond this window
and the earth winds to a halt
beyond this window
something unknown is watching you and me.

O green from head to foot
place your hands like a burning memory
in my loving hands
give your lips to the caresses
of my loving lips
like the warm perception of being
the wind will take us
the wind will take us.

--- By Forugh Farrokhzad
Translated by Ahmad Karimi Hakkak
The Persian Book Review VOLUME III, NO 12 Page 1337

Another Birth

My whole being is a dark chant
which will carry you
perpetuating you
to the dawn of eternal growths and blossoming
in this chant I sighed you sighed
in this chant
I grafted you to the tree to the water to the fire.

Life is perhaps
a long street through which a woman holding
a basket passes every day

Life is perhaps
a rope with which a man hangs himself from a branch
life is perhaps a child returning home from school.

Life is perhaps lighting up a cigarette
in the narcotic repose between two love-makings
or the absent gaze of a passerby
who takes off his hat to another passerby
with a meaningless smile and a good morning .

Life is perhaps that enclosed moment
when my gaze destroys itself in the pupil of your eyes
and it is in the feeling
which I will put into the Moon's impression
and the Night's perception.

In a room as big as loneliness
my heart
which is as big as love
looks at the simple pretexts of its happiness
at the beautiful decay of flowers in the vase
at the sapling you planted in our garden
and the song of canaries
which sing to the size of a window.

Ah
this is my lot
this is my lot
my lot is
a sky which is taken away at the drop of a curtain
my lot is going down a flight of disused stairs
a regain something amid putrefaction and nostalgia
my lot is a sad promenade in the garden of memories
and dying in the grief of a voice which tells me
I love
your hands.

I will plant my hands in the garden
I will grow I know I know I know
and swallows will lay eggs
in the hollow of my ink-stained hands.

I shall wear
a pair of twin cherries as ear-rings
and I shall put dahlia petals on my finger-nails
there is an alley
where the boys who were in love with me
still loiter with the same unkempt hair
thin necks and bony legs
and think of the innocent smiles of a little girl
who was blown away by the wind one night.

There is an alley
which my heart has stolen
from the streets of my childhood.

The journey of a form along the line of time
inseminating the line of time with the form
a form conscious of an image
coming back from a feast in a mirror

And it is in this way
that someone dies
and someone lives on.

No fisherman shall ever find a pearl in a small brook
which empties into a pool.

I know a sad little fairy
who lives in an ocean
and ever so softly
plays her heart into a magic flute
a sad little fairy
who dies with one kiss each night
and is reborn with one kiss each dawn.

--- By Forugh Farrokhzad
Karim Emami Az Past O Bolande Targomeh Page 19-21

Change we believe in

One year ago Hafiz Saeed was free,
One year later Hafiz Saeed is still free.

One year ago RR Patil was the Home Minister of Maharashtra,
One year later RR Patil is still the Home Minister of Maharashtra.

One year ago the News Channels were playing clips from the 26/11 attacks,
One year later the News Channels are still playing clips from the 26/11 attacks.

One year ago Kasab was alive,
One year later Kasab is still alive.

Congratulations everybody!
We simply changed the date and time,
From 26/11/2008 to 26/11/2009!

Cited From this source without permission.

मंत्र कविता

ॐ शब्द ही ब्रह्म है
ॐ शब्द और शब्द और शब्द और शब्द
ॐ प्रणव, ॐ नाद, ॐ मुद्राएँ
ॐ वक्तव्य, ॐ उद्गार, ॐ घोषणाएँ
ॐ भाषण…
ॐ प्रवचन…
ॐ हुंकार, ॐ फटकार, ॐ शीत्कार
ॐ फुस-फुस, ॐ फुत्कार, ॐ चित्कार
ॐ आस्फालन, ॐ इंगित, ॐ इशारे
ॐ नारे और नारे और नारे और नारे
ॐ सब कुछ, सब कुछ, सब कुछ
ॐ कुछ नहीं, कुछ नहीं, कुछ नहीं
ॐ पत्थर पर की दूब, खरगोश के सींग
ॐ नमक-तेल-हल्दी-जीरा-हींग
ॐ मूस की लेंड़ी, कनेर के पात
ॐ डायन की चीख, औघड़ की अटपट बात
ॐ कोयला-इस्पात-पेट्रोल
ॐ हमीं हम ठोस, बाकी सब फूटे ढोल
ॐ इदमन्नं, इमा आप:, इदमाज्यम, इदं हवि
ॐ यजमान, ॐ पुरोहित, ॐ राजा, ॐ कवि:
ॐ क्रांति: क्रांति: क्रांति: सर्वग्वम् क्रांति:
ॐ शांति: शांति: शांति: सर्वग्वम् शांति:
ॐ भ्रांति: भ्रांति: भ्रांति: सर्वग्वम् भ्रांति:
ॐ बचाओ बचाओ बचाओ बचाओ
ॐ हटाओ हटाओ हटाओ हटाओ
ॐ घेराओ घेराओ घेराओ घेराओ
ॐ निभाओ निभाओ निभाओ निभाओ
ॐ दलों में एक दल अपना दल, ॐ
ॐ अंगीकरण, शुद्धीकरण, राष्ट्रीकरण
ॐ मुष्टीकरण, तुष्टीकरण, पुष्टीकरण
ॐ एतराज़, आक्षेप, अनुशासन
ॐ गद्दी पर आजन्म वज्रासन
ॐ ट्रिब्यूनल ॐ आश्वासन
ॐ गुट-निरपेक्ष सत्ता-सापेक्ष जोड़-तोड़
ॐ छल-छंद, ॐ मिथ्या, ॐ होड़महोड़
ॐ बकवास, ॐ उद्घाटन
ॐ मारण-मोहन-उच्चाटन
ॐ काली काली काली महाकाली महाकाली
ॐ मार मार मार, वार न जाए खाली
ॐ अपनी खुशहाली
ॐ दुश्मनों की पामाली
ॐ मार, मार, मार, मार, मार, मार, मार
ॐ अपोजिशन के मुंड बनें तेरे गले का हार
ॐ ऐं हीं वलीं हूँ ॐ
ॐ हम चबाएंगे तिलक और गांधी की टांग
ॐ बूढे की आँख, छोकरी का काजल
ॐ तुलसीदल, बिल्वपत्र, चंदन, रोली, अक्षत, गंगाजल
ॐ शेर के दाँत, भालू के नाखून, मरकत का फोता
ॐ हमेशा हमेशा हमेशा करेगा राज मेरा पोता
ॐ छू: छू: फू: फू: फट फिट फुट
ॐ शत्रुओं की छाती पर लोहा कुट
ॐ भैरो, भैरो, भैरो, ॐ बजरंगबली
ॐ बन्दूक का टोटा, पिस्तौल की नली
ॐ डालर, ॐ रूबल, ॐ
ॐ साउंड, ॐ साउंड, ॐ साउंड
ॐ ॐ ॐ
ॐ धरती, धरती, धरती, व्योम् व्योम् व्योम्
ॐ अष्टधातुओं की ईंटों के भट्ठे
ॐ महामहिम, महामहो, उल्लू के पट्ठे
ॐ दुर्गा दुर्गा तारा तारा तारा
ॐ इसी पेट के अदंर समा जाए सर्वहारा
हरि: ॐ तत्सत् हरि: ॐ तत्सत्
********
नागार्जुन

बादल को घिरते देखा है |

अमल धवल गिरि के शिखरों पर
बादल को घिरते देखा है।

छोटे-छोटे मोती जैसे
उसके शीतल तुहिन कणों को
मानसरोवर के उन स्वर्णिम
कमलों पर गिरते देखा है
बादलों को घिरते देखा है।

तुंग हिमालय के कंधों पर
छोटी-बड़ी कई झीलें हैं
उनके श्यामल-नील सलिल में
समतल देशों से आ-आकर
पावस की ऊमस से आकुल
तिक्त-मधुर बिस-तंतु खोजते
हंसों को तिरते देखा है
बादल को घिरते देखा है।

ऋतु वसंत का सुप्रभात था
मंद-मंद था अनिल बह रहा
बालारुण की मृदु किरणें थीं
अगल-बगल स्वर्णाभ शिखर थे
एक-दूसरे से विरहित हो
अलग-अलग रहकर ही जिनको
सारी रात बितानी होती
निशाकाल से चिर-अभिशापित
बेबस उस चकवा-चकवी का
बंद हुआ क्रंदन; फिर उनमें
उस महान सरवर के तीरे
शैवालों की हरी दरी पर
प्रणय-कलह छिड़ते देखा है
बादल को घिरते देखा है।

दुर्गम बर्फ़ानी घाटी में
शत्-सहस्र फुट ऊँचाई पर
अलख नाभि से उठने वाले
निज के ही उन्मादक परिमल
-के पीछे धावित हो-होकर
तरल तरुण कस्तूरी मृग को
अपने पर चिढ़ते देखा है
बादल को घिरते देखा है।

कहाँ गया धनपति कुबेर वह
कहाँ गई उसकी वह अलका
नहीं ठिकाना कालिदास के
व्योम-प्रवाही गंगाजल का
ढूंढा बहुत परंतु लगा क्या
मेघदूत का पता कहीं पर
कौन बताए वह छायामय
बरस पड़ा होगा न यहीं पर
जाने दो; वह कवि-कल्पित था
मैंने तो भीषण जाड़ों में
नभ-चुंबी कैलाश शीर्ष पर
महामेघ को झंझानिल से
गरज-गरज भिड़ते देखा है
बादल को घिरते देखा है।

शत-शत निर्झर-निर्झरणी कल
मुखरित देवदारु कानन में
शोणित धवल भोज-पत्रों से
छाई हुई कुटी के भीतर
रंग-बिरंगे और सुगंधित
फूलों से कुंतल को साजे
इंद्रनील की माला डाले
शंख-सरीखे सुघड़ गलों में
कानों में कुवलय लटकाए
शतदल लाल कमल वेणी में
रजत-रचित मणि खचित कलामय
पान-पात्र द्राक्षासव पूरित
रखे सामने अपने-अपने
लोहित चंदन की त्रिपुटी पर
नरम निदाग बाल-कस्तूरी
मृगछालों पर पलथी मारे
मदिरारुण आँखों वाले उन
उन्मद किन्नर-किन्नरियों की
मृदुल मनोरम अंगुलियों को
वंशी पर फिरते देखा है
बादल को घिरते देखा है।
********
नागार्जुन