Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra

 

(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Ambika’s infuriation”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)

 

☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 5 ☆

 

☆ Ambika’s infuriation ☆

(When asked by Satyavati to bear a child with her son, Sage Vyas)

 

What am I taken to be, great Bhishma!

Taken away from my father by force
O Bhishma I was forced to wed
Not you, the one who brought me here
But Vichitravirya, as you then said.

Disturbed and humiliated was I
But I made no protest, nor dissent
Accepted what fate decreed and so,
Were seven best years of my youth spent!

Have you now heard this, mighty Bhishma,
What mother Satyavati asks of me?
She wishes me to consort with Sage Vyas

Bhishma! What now, I ask of thee?

Sage Vyas is here now, mighty Bhishma
And his awful odour fills the room
O! So terrible and dark his visage is
How do I take his seed in my womb?

The clan may prosper or come to end
No! I just can’t bear a son by him…
Oh! No one listens to me…and so…
My eyes shall remain closed to him…

What am I? I ask you Bhishma!
What did I do for this disgrace…
I have no choice, I give in Bhishma,
It is my end, I hide my face!

 

© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra

(All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the author.)

Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

(We are extremely thankful to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji for sharing his literary and artworks with e-abhivyakti.  An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Capt. Pravin has served the country at national as well international level in various fronts. Presently, working as Senior Advisor, C-DAC in Artificial Intelligence and HPC Group; and involved in various national-level projects.

We present an English Version of Shri Sanjay Bhardwaj’s Hindi poem ” सृजन ” published in today’s  ?✍ संजय दृष्टि  – सृजन ✍?.  We extend our heartiest thanks to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji for this beautiful translation. )

Initially, we thought to begin a weekly column of Capt. Pravin Raghuwanshi ji’s English Translations. Later on, we found that we will not be able to give justice by limiting his vivid literary work in periodical columns. So, we will try to publish his work whenever we will have an opportunity to do so.  We are extremely thankful to Capt Pravin ji for giving this liberty to e-abhivyakti.

 

?✍ Creativity ✍?

 

Some stood fast with the power of money,

Others through the power of their contacts,

Time cemented this transactional barter for eternity,

While the utter crazy pauper like me held on to creativity…

 

© Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra

 

(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Amba’s wrath”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)

 

☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 4 ☆

 

☆ Amba’s wrath ☆

(Denied justice from Bheeshma, a sufferer of fate, Amba seeks justice from God)

 

O life! You have made me a chattel

Loved, lost, owned and dismissed.

And on one leg I stand here on the Himalayas

O God! Before you, to ask for justice.

 

King Shalva I loved, gave away my heart

And accepted I was by pleasure and grace

And yet, taken away from my swayamwar I was

Bheeshma, by virtue of force, caused my disgrace.

 

Owned by Bheeshma, to Vichitrveerya presented

A conquered property I became, exchanging hands

When informed that it was King Shalva I loved

Kind enough they were to understand

 

Went I, to King Shalva, with love in my heart

And…oh! rejected, refused and denied I was

Said he, that he could not have someone as wife

Some other man’s possession who was…

 

With a despondency, I returned

And asked Vichitraveerya to take me as his wife

Declined again, I asked Bheeshma for justice

He was the one, who had changed course of  my life

 

He was the one who had snatched me away

He was the one in whose chariot I sat

Rightfully, I asked him to marry me

And it was then I realized, I had become a doormat

 

Bheeshma rebuffed me, reminded me of his pledge;

Wandered I from place to place, to get even.

Parshurama did help, fought for me-

Unfortunately, against Bheeshma, no one could have won

 

O God! Death of Bheeshma is what I seek

As a revenge for what I had to endure and face

O God! Give me justice, for I know I did not falter

O God! Most humbly, before you, I present my case

 

© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra

(All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the author.)

Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra

 

(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Celestial Ganga”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)

 

☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 3 ☆

 

☆ Celestial Ganga ☆

 

Oh what a beauty!

Thought Shantanu, as he at Ganga glanced

Fell in love in first glimpse

And for her hands for marriage, he asked.

 

By Shantanu’s father already blessed

Ganga had nothing to fear

“Oh yes!” she smiled and replied,

“Provided you never question me dear!”

 

The king’s lawful queen she became

And soon, her first son was born

As he witnessed her go and drown him

Between his love and promise was Shantanu torn

 

Child after child thrown in river

King Shantanu felt that he had had a lot

When to drown the eighth child Ganga went

He felt that he could thus continue to suffer not

 

“O pretty queen, do stop your ghastly acts;

Pray leave this child,” he muttered

“Your promise is broken oh dear King!

I shall leave you now!” she uttered.

 

“The children killed by me were none

But Gods known as Vasus who were cursed

Seven of them could forsake life and misery

Though the eighth shall have to be nursed.”

 

Saying so, Ganga quickly disappeared

With Devratta safely cushioned under her arms

To be raised and trained as perfect warrior

Under the patronage of Parshurama!

 

© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra

(All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the author.)

Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

(We are extremely thankful to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji  for sharing his literary and art works with e-abhivyakti.  An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Capt. Pravin has served the country at national as well international level in various fronts. Presently, working as Senior Advisor, C-DAC in Artificial Intelligence and HPC Group; and involved in various national level projects. We present a translation of Shri Sanjay Bhardwaj’s Hindi poem ” ब्लेक होल ” published in today’s  साप्ताहिक स्तम्भ – ☆ संजय उवाच – #8 – ब्लेक होल ☆ . We extend our heartiest thanks for this beautiful translation. )

 

☆ Black Hole…. ☆

 

How do you manage

to absorb

so many hardships

so much of sadness

within yourself,

Science says:

Decay of substance

Happens from more to less

Dense to sparse…

Misery of world

Comes and gets

consumed in me,

My inside is getting

used to of it

Entire emptiness of mine

is gradually turning

into the ‘Black hole!’

 

© Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra

 

(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Dushyanta’s Regret”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)

 

☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 2 ☆

☆ Dushyanta’s Regret ☆

(Dushyanta speaks when he is told by Gods that Shakuntala is indeed his wife and Bharat is indeed his son)

  

O dearest Shakuntala,

How could I forget you-

O beautiful damsel?

Regret flows through my eyes

As I remember

I called you lowly, wicked and without virtues.

Shame envelopes me

As I recall the moments

When I  refused to accept Bharat,

Our lovely son!

 

O dearest Shakuntala

Holy was our union

Already sanctified by heavens above;

And Bharat, the most handsome son

Any man could have.

Proud I am having you as my wife

And possessing Bharat as my son

And I bow in front of Sage Kanwa

Who patronised you!

 

O dearest Shakuntala

Ready I am to repent and accept any penalty

That you may impart me.

Forgiveness I what I ask of thee,

Reprimand me or punish me,

But restore honour

To this mighty kingdom

And my soul

And accept to be

My wife.

 

Oh virtuous, chaste and beautiful lady,

See! even the heavens desire

That you be my wife, the queen!

 

© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra

(All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the author.)

Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

(We are extremely thankful to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji  for sharing his literary and art works with e-abhivyakti.  An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Capt. Pravin has served the country at national as well international level in various fronts. Presently, working as Senior Advisor, C-DAC in Artificial Intelligence and HPC Group; and involved in various national level projects. We present an emotional poem of Capt. Raghuvanshi ji “Life goes on….”.)

 

☆ Life goes on…. ☆

 

No one ever leaves

before his time comes

When will that happen?

No one even knows…

 

There’s no bigger catastrophe than the

Heartache ceaselessly oozing out through eyes…

 

I sure’ve reaped gains by

my carefree senselessness,

As, now doesn’t even exist

a complaint with the life…

 

Though, the eternal quest

still on deep inside me

But never-ever bothered to

explore my fathomless heart

 

There used to live a

bounteous person inside

However hard I searched

but never found him again…

 

Life now is such an intense

perpetual concatenate maze

That doesn’t even have

foreseeable unpuzzled end!

 

But life goes on…

 

© Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

Ms Neelam Saxena Chandra

 

(Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is a well-known author. She has been honoured with many international/national/ regional level awards. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Neelam ji for permitting us to share her excellent poems with our readers. We will be sharing her poems on every Thursday Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra ji is Executive Director (Systems) Mahametro, Pune. Her beloved genre is poetry. Today we present her poem “Madhavi forgives Yayati”. This poem is from her book “Tales of Eon)

 

☆ Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 1 ☆

 

☆ Madhavi forgives Yayati☆

 

The illustrious king once, Yayati

As I see you discarded and thrown

My heart goes out to thee

After all, you are my father own

 

For me, so difficult forgetting is

After all, you made me a prostitute

Blessed I was to be a mother of four kings

Traded I was for the heroes mute

 

Your own daughter, you presented to Sage Galva

Who offered me to three kings on earth

Sage Galva got his six hundred white horses

And I, to three kinds, gave birth

 

Further presented to Sage Vishwamitra

Another child I bore, another hurt I received

Returned back then to your Palace

After having borne sons four

 

You wished me to marry someone then

But after this misadventure how could i?

Into an ascetic I turned

Chanting hymns and chants in the forests nearby

 

Comprehending the futility of rage

To you, Yayati, forgiveness I impart

My sons shall give you a portion of their merits

And shall play, in my forgiveness, a special part

 

© Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra

(All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the author.)

Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

(We are extremely thankful to Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi ji  for sharing his literary and art works with e-abhivyakti.  An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Capt. Pravin has served the country at national as well international level in various fronts. We present an excellent poetry depicting pain and sorrow of every river in the country.  Every one is aware of the reasons and worried about the level of pollution. But, who will take the first step for the mankind.  This poetry is actually anguish of the river sensed by Capt. Raghuvanshi ji.  

In his own words

Visiting my place in Varanasi, situated at the confluence of Ganga and Gomati…

Wrote few lines on state of rivers in our country…     Capt. Raghuvanshi:

Today, we present the poetry of Capt. Pravin Raghuvanshi ji “Anguish of the River…” .)

 

☆ Anguish of the River… ☆

 

River is not like *Neelkanth*, the Lord Shiva!

 

She was once a playful translucent river

And me, a carefree

ambitious damsel

Used to do *Aachman*,

sipping her sacred water while offering her my resolute obeisance…

 

I always stood by her

as a solid rock

Kept attending to all

–her evergrowing frustrations,

–her excruciating vexations,

–her boisterous predicaments

I was happy to be

the rock to her…

 

But, one day you came,

While clutching me

crossed all the limits

I didn’t like your

that filthy touch,

In a moment, I got disintegrated

into millions of sand particles…

 

Just fell devastated into

forlorn lap of the river

That’s when I realised that

river is not mere flowing water…

 

She, being a dextrous historian,

Kept scripting historical manuscripts,

Creating cultures, nurturing customs as a responsible ancestor…

 

She was also a

modern trendsetter

Always altering courses

on her freewill…

She was the seeker, a questor!

 

She was a loving-mother incarnate

That’s how I could live the sufferings of the river…

 

Now, you’ve removed even

the womb, intestine, heart,

flesh and marrow from her body…

 

So many times, I could

–Hear her sobbing from

the palatial garrets

–Witness the river

repeatedly shedding her

tears in the inner

layers of the roads

 

She too wanted to get dispersed as particles

in the thin air

Exactly like me!

 

But where could she go?

Where could she get accommodated? Where!!

As she did not have the river,

just like herself only…

 

I fell on her bosom, tiredly

Kept watching her helplessly,

While you choked her face

with a dirty cloth

Had to watch her painful sufferings,

Her writhing in agony,

even for a breath!

Her misery of breathlessness

was far worse than my dispersing into particles…

 

River, that joyfully

spilled around

its banks for ages

Now, in this epoch, has only last few breaths of life

Stinking, panting,

Counting her remaining breaths…!

 

How many times

did I beg of you

If you desire, take my remaining particles too; but,

Fill her with few breaths

in her lungs

By mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,

Just return her past glory

Which you forcibly

snatched her of,

Plant *Singi* tools

to pull all the poison

out of her body…

 

Listen,

River cannot survive

By drinking the poison

Because, river is not the *Neelkanth*, the Lord Shiva…!

 

Note:

*Neelkanth* (Blue throat), is the other name of Lord Shiva who drank the poison, without having effect on Him; as He held it in His throat which turned blue because of its severity; thus, called as *Neelkanth*

*Singi* is a tool which is used for sucking poison from the body…

 

© Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM

Hemant Bawankar

 

(Inspired by the news published in a newspaper in which a mother donated her eyes with an unborn child before dowry-death.  This poem has been cited from my book “The Variegated Life of Emotional Hearts”.)

 

 ☆ It’s not an eye-donation….  It is an eye-offering  ☆ 

 

Listen

these eyes are

not only eyes

but,

these eyes are

like melted and purified gold

in the life’s altar.

 

I have seen.

No ….No

these eyes have seen

a river of fire

warmth in the mother’s lap

and

inflammation of puberty.

 

Wedding pavilion

sacrificial altar

and seven rounds

around the fire.

 

The first night’s

soft and warm flower bed

and ….  and

various forms of fire.

 

My beautiful body,

I was proud of which

has been scorched

in

the fire of dowry.

 

Where is ‘he’?

Where?

Who has held my hands

by making

fire as witness.

Now given

the fire of dowry;

and ……

he will give

the fire of the funeral.

 

But, Mom!

Why are you crying?

And brother,

you too?

 

You are drowned in debt

by raising funds for dowry.

 

How have you been broken in life?

Alas!

Dad is no more today.

Else,

in your place

he could have offered

his shoulder to you

in support

to cry with you!

 

My goodbye tears

are still in my eyes

and

my bier is being readied.

 

Enough is enough.

Breath is less than hope,

I am going

with an unborn child.

I can’t imagine

his/her face

and

I don’t know

how he/she could

smile/play/laugh/cry

if he/she could take birth?

 

No ….. no

Mom!

Enough is enough.

 

Now,

give these eyes to someone.

Not as a donation

as charity is being done by those

that have something.

 

Therefore,

it is not an eye-donation

it is an eye-offering

to continue the journey

of life.

 

Listen

These eyes are

not only eyes

but,

these eyes are

melted and purified gold

in the life’s altar.

 

© Hemant Bawankar

This poem was written on 2nd December, 1987.