Weekly column ☆ Poetic World of Ms. Neelam Saxena Chandra # 3 – Celestial Ganga☆ - साहित्य एवं कला विमर्श

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!

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