Setu 🌉 सेतु: B S Tyagi

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In the cafeteria Shuchita was waiting for him while sipping caffe latte with fried cashews. It was pleasant. The sky was clear. Birds were hopping among tall leafy trees with their joyful chirrups. Intermittently she looked at the white patch of clouds on the horizon. Her eyes were full of longing. She often thought about the little time she had spent in his proximity. Within this short time span she could discover many delightful things about herself. His words were so inspiring. She was doubtful about his company for long, though she longed for it. She knew in her mind that the ripples she had experienced within, would gush out later or sooner. They were too powerful.

‘Welcome!’ She smiled gleefully.

Sarthak smiled his thanks sitting beside her. He felt a sort of fragrance emitting from her each pore. It was full of inner joy as if ripe pods had burst suddenly.

She offered him cashews. Her eyes were so eloquent. Earrings were dangling rhythmically. She looked chirpy and wanted to have chinwag with him.

‘What’re you looking over there?’ She asked softly

‘What do you see there?’ he quizzed

‘A patch of cloud.’

‘Only…!’

Yes. What else there?’

Looking at her he smiled warmly putting mug on the table.

‘A white lotus in the lake.’

He kept staring at the horizon suffused with azure. It seemed as though his soul were aching to touch and feel it. She too looked at but didn’t see any. It was patch of cloud like cotton-balls.
‘It contains a face too in the middle,’ whispered he without looking at her

‘Face!’ She cooed shifting close to him.

‘Yeah…’

She looked at it more attentively but couldn’t.’

‘You enjoy the face. Let me go.’

She got up reluctantly and moved towards her cabin. She was trying to see the lotus and face through mind’s eyes. She sat wrapped up in him. After this month he would not be seen here. He would go away. It pained her deeply. She felt sorry as why she could not discover her soul-mate in him though he was round. She wasted twenty years. His sudden decision to quit the job came as a shock to her. She couldn’t dare to tell him about her inner restlessness. Now she was eager to bare her soul to him.
In the evening she sent a photo of her face in close-up along with text message – was this face in the lotus?

She waited keenly for his response. A host of emotions – apprehension and joy, flooded her mind. Actually, she did not know how he would respond to it – might be her madness.
Sarthak kept staring at the close-up and the text. It was all unexpected. To his utter amazement and delight the close-up resembled the face in the lotus. It was so captivating. It was a sheer pleasure. He was so overwhelmed by it that he forgot what to say.

Not getting his response she was on tenterhooks all these moments waiting for his text. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours. It was a prolonged agony. None but alone she knew how she passed these few moments.

At last, he came around and texted quickly –yes, it was the very face.
She did not believe her eyes that he had warmed to her. Tears welled up her eyes. She felt as if she was drenched in the first showers of the monsoon. In the evening both of them would exchange text messages. She would send photos. The more they chatted, the more they felt close to each other. It was a rewarding experience for them – somewhat indescribable.

The face had become an obsession with Sarthak. He felt that he had been searching for this face for lives together. During meditation he discovered that he had a long association with Suchita and finally his search had ended. They had been spiritually associated with each other for ages.
‘We have known each other for four centuries.’ He informed her walking in the lawn.
She looked at his flushed face and felt his words had a ring of truth as they went straight into her heart.

‘Something is there,’ she nodded, realizing her inner restiveness

Days and weeks flew by. Intensity of emotions continued deepening. Sarthak felt that something was cracking within in the tranquility of silence. At night he realized that some celestial being was lying beside him and then it had percolated through his body. It was so thrilling and exciting that he lay in the pool of bliss. He was blissed out for weeks together. As he told her all about his experience, she wondered if she had experienced the same last night. He took her soft hand instinctively. She felt a rapturous thrill all over as if she had touched a magic wand.

‘Come home at noon.’ She texted him

‘Sure…’

She was alone in the house. She was excited to meet him. She was eager to receive him, to talk unreservedly and perhaps to hug him if possible. She was brimming with passions. She knew that he would not fail her. It was hardly noon. Sarthak was about to knock at the door, he saw her arrayed in white gown opening the door with a joyous smile. No words came out. He too was silent. Both went in and sank in sofa looking into each other’s eyes as though they had met first time after ages. They had intimate talk but sans words. At last, she stood up and buried her face in his chest. In an instant he enfolded her in his arms. She was ensconced in his tender arms like a pearl in shell. They stood lost in each other. Time stood still. The two souls melted into each other and rose in the space waiting for the return of their astral bodies.

Afterwards she lived like a lotus in the lake, untouched by earthly dust, pure and pristine. She, of course, did her duty without her conscious involvement towards her family that she was expected of.
And he was absolutely zero. He stayed calm and serene like a lake.

Setu, February 2020

What short story means to me (K. S. Subramanian and B. S. Tyagi)

K S Subramaniam

K. S. Subramanian

From my experience I have found that the main aim of a short story must be to connect with the reader, knowing his propensity for fast pace, easy and pleasant reading and keeping attention in place. In our times it is hardly possible for anyone to spend even half an hour on a literary piece with his busy schedule unless he is literarily inclined. Since the reader is the primary target audience it is inevitable to respect his needs and encourage his literary drive. These days there is a perceptible change in the audience too who are gravitating to new literature partly due to untapped interest in creative writing and compulsive environment.

A short story can be personal dealing with an event or emotional sequence which affects his personality. It could be a cathartic experience for himself too, a kind of therapy. It is one way of unwinding oneself. But I feel it need not be always personal, and he can branch out into other interesting events or happenings around. Though there is no inherent pressure on him to convey a ethical message or of protest/resentment he can let his particular work speak for itself. I feel any such message can emerge unobtrusively or be subtle.

I am personally apathetic to graphic details in a story. It militates against the essence of creativity and could be an affront to sensibility. A short story’s scope is wide, can deal with a wide variety of happenings including some historical or mythical characters if the writer is attracted to a specific streak of the personality. Through unraveling that streak the writer can either elevate or downgrade the personality depending on the make up of the character.

Be it characters from history/mythology/social environment they cannot come out alive, I feel, unless sufficient research and focus has been put into it. Many illustrious novelists like Amish Tripathy have done phenomenal research to do trilogies which keep readers pegged. This yardstick applies to all literary characters who have become cherished icons in literature.

I wrote a short story Ghatotkach’s mace in Setu which was a learning exercise to enhance the character’s moral strength.

It is difficult to be precise about the language because it entirely dependent on the theme, nature of the circumstances and characters at play. Suffice it to say that it should be racy, poignant where necessary and carry the reader to the end. However the language changes with eras in its idioms and nuances and even within the eras diction varies one section of people to the other. To be true to the times I think one must be conversant with local slang spoken then. I would wish to cite Michael Crichton’s Great Train Robbery, a superb fiction which was also made into a thriller. His handling of the local dialect was amazingly authentic.

So in a modern setting one has to settle for the local idiom and even slang when building the theme of his story. But if it is in a historical or mythical setting the language has to be courtlier and more classical typical of the expressions of the age, I suppose.

Traditionally it is known that a short story has a beginning, middle and end as much as a novel. Many think it is old school of thought without realizing that most of the contemporary novels and novelists stick to this format. Even Frederick Forsyth’s thrillers and of his contemporaries have this format in the background. They are adept at making it lurk while building up the plot to its climax with amazing and enormous details thrown in between that the reader realizes it only when he reflects on the novel. This can be found in biographies/autobiographies too.

The environment does inspire any writer. No writer can say or claim that he is a hermit dwelling in an ivory tower and writing from there. The environment need not be present in every story of his but is an invisible factor.

A short story can be a collage of events but designed to an ending. I have always admired the adroitness with which the classical American writer O Henry used to build his stories to an unimaginable climax without ever letting the reader feel that it is contrived. For example, let me cite The Gift of the Magi or the Passing of Black Eagle. There are many illustrious short fiction writers in various languages globally and O Henry will rank right there in the top echelons. Surprise endings are often the key to the impact of a story.

Facts do matter especially when one is dealing with an event or sequence where history, medicine or science is a dominant element. Science fiction falls in this category and anyone attempting it will fail inevitably unless he has a solid grounding on facts. Facts also have a special bearing when the theme has something to do with medicine or any other branch of knowledge. Otherwise it can be contested.

Indian English writing has ranked with the best since its birth. However the classical poets and novelists have been confined to the curriculum in a way though their stellar contributions have been much acknowledged.

There are a lot of contemporary writers who are still in the shadow except for the limited visibility available through social media and internet. In this context the visibility factor has certainly improved with highly motivated and enthusiastic web domains promoting literature to wider audience. But self-published writers are unable to break even notwithstanding the presence of some publications committed to promoting literature. Either the cost is a deterrent or the marketing reach. On mass media it is still an uphill task to get one’s work reviewed or even catalogued in the weekly release of books’ list. It is like shooting a wild arrow in the darkness or finding one’s way in an untenanted land.

But things will change or are changing…

Mechanism of Poetry

K. S. Subramanian and B. S. Tyagi

B S Tyagi

My personal experience of poetry writing leads me to believe that poetry should be natural, spontaneous and fluent as only then it can enable humans to realize inherent beauty and freshness. It should ring the echo of truth and beauty which can transport a person into the other world forgetting worldly ‘fret and fever’ for a while. It has capacity to lift a person into ‘a world quite different from that of prose or everyday life’. A simple and natural verse can touch magically a person’s soul with its all soothing effect. To me poetry is a pristine source of love, peace and joy as it springs forth from heart. It knows no boundaries; hence all-embracing. Its inspiring force urges me to search for truth through nature and its beauty. Besides, poetry has its own way to interpret life with its all facts, and experiences which dominate worldly life. It relates human feelings and passions which matter most in day to day life. And above all, it purges human mind of negativity which is the need of today’s times as our conscious mind knows it well that negative feelings such as anger, fear, greed, lust, jealousy etc. are not acceptable to society. If these feelings are suppressed, internal system looks for ways to manifest as destructive images, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Poetry can purify mind and keeps the whole being calm. In Indian context the majority of people believe in spirituality; poetry with spiritual touch interest men and women. They enjoy much such poetry. Man, if imbibes its beauty, can stay in harmony with nature and realize it presence all over the universe. In fact, poetry educates the readers to look at life from the poet’s insight. Hence, it is rewarding in a number of ways.

Next, pleasure is the chief function of poetry so it must have rhythm; it lends grace and aesthetic beauty to the poem and the reader feels great pleasure while reading a poem. Its music is an arresting element of poetry which makes the reader’s heart throb with joy. It renders the subject easy and the reader easily identifies himself with poet. A poem may be in free verse but it should have music of language. Its rhythm leads poetry to perfection and aesthetic beauty. It makes poetry more natural and spontaneous in its expression. A poet should be aware of this essential element as it can make the expression rich and palpable.

The reader grasps the subject quite easily and feels closeness with the poet. It contains solid joy of heart. Rhythm enables poetry to carry out ‘exalted mood of passion and imaginative ecstasy’ which leaves an everlasting impression on the mind of the reader. It keeps awake all senses of the reader; that’s why he enjoys poem in depth. An image created through rhythm helps the reader to retain it longer. In fact, a poet adopts the form of poetry that suits his taste and temperament.

So long as Haiku is concerned it ‘revolves around the Japanese aesthetic concept known as ‘ma’ (pronounced as ‘mah’), which is all about showing the ‘void’ around things…not to clutter up the spaces; to give breathing and dreaming spaces between images and words – in short, to leave space for the reader to step in.’ Vivid imagery is a significant aspect of Haiku. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is an “unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively.” A poet needs to discipline himself as he has to say a lot within these words. On the other hand a reader should be alert all the time to grasp it wholly as it has space for him. Anyway, it is an interesting form of poetry and a reader trained in this form enjoys it much like other forms of poetry. Many Indian poets have composed Haikus such as Kala Ramesh, Rajiv Lather, Paresh Tiwari, Gautam Nadkarni, Johannes Manjrekar, Madhuri Pillai, Pravat Kumar Padhy, Shloka Shankar etc. They are successful poets of Haikus.

There are many Indian poets who have contributed a lot to the English literature over the years. Their work has been greatly appreciated all over the world. Among these classical poets are - Rabindra Nath Tagore, Sri Aurbindo, Sarojini Naidu, Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Virendranath Chattopadhaya, Jayanta Mahapatra, Keki N Daruwalla, Gieve Patel, Kamala Das, A K mehrotra et al. They are timeless poets. Their work has inspired many poets to write on Indian theme. Besides, there are other modern poets like Nissim Ezekiel, Arun Kalatkar, Dilip Chitre, R Parthasarathy etc. Their poetry is marked with typical Indianness.They have written passionately about the issues that matter most in our society. Many modern poets after independence have sought inspiration from them. Their contribution has enriched Anglo-English poetry. Students working on Anglo-English poetry often refer frequently to these poets while discussing the trends prevailing in post-independence English poetry.

The English poetry in India has faced the problem of wide readership for certain reasons. Generally, poets writing in English do not have readers in large number as people in general lack interest in poetry. Secondly, language is a barrier as mostly people are not well versed in English. They do not understand poem until it is explained to them. To understand a good poem a reader needs maturity, command of language, and knowledge of context. So, poetry books have a poor market. Their takers are very few. But as education is spreading and internet is available to all, the number of poetry readers is increasing by and by. Moreover, many young boys and girls are writing in English, they propagate their work on social media. It has made people aware of poetry being written in English. Self-publication has also helped poetry to reach the large number of readers. Many national and international anthologies are published every year and readers read the poems with great interest.

A vernacular has played a vital role in enhancing English literature. If we talk about Indian literature, many great volumes of poetry have been written in vernacular. Indian literature has produced a body of work in poetry in a variety of vernacular languages including Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Bengali, Behari, Tamil, etc. Though vernacular is contrasted with ‘high-prestige’ forms of language, it has given a rich expression to culture, cults, customs, philosophy, and great traditions of spirituality prevailing in society at that time. Many modern poets have used vernacular in their work and preserved many precious traditions of that territory or region. Many beautiful folk-songs are found in vernacular. When their work is translated into English or other language, it is welcomed by a large number of people. Briefly, speaking, a vernacular has enriched English literature and given expression to many lofty ideas.

Translation of poetry is an uphill task. Many a time, it has been observed that translator feels unable to translate that bluntness and temperament of the original language. Many words or expressions cannot be put in another language with the same ease and sharpness. Words that can express that particular emotion, are missing in that language. Here translator feels helpless though he tries his best to put that expression in words or phrases but it lacks that original force. But an intelligent reader can grasp that expression. Sometimes the translator has to use that particular word as it is with explanation or a phrase near to it. Even then a seasoned translator is successful in translating work of poetry to a great extent. A number of translated works are published all over world. Many works in translation have been recognized and awarded. All Noble Laureates and award winning poets and authors come to us through translation and the readers showed their full appreciation. Hence, translation has become a great means of communication across the world.

Last but not least, poetry is essentially subjective somewhere in depth while dealing environment. Even the great poets have given touch of their experience to the environment and situation. Though the poet tries to write objectively, unknowingly his personal experience soaked in his culture and environment in which he has been bred and brought up comes in his poetry. So, it is very difficult to escape from subjectivity. But in the tint of subjectivity poetry does not lose the luster of objectivity and it captures reader’s imagination and he enjoys it wholly. Nothing hinders poetry from providing pleasure.

Setu, December 2019

Poetry: Leaves and Dreams

B S Tyagi

B. S. Tyagi

1 The Best Is Yet To be
(1)
On its last legs life crawls
Times come to wind up all,
Bird is restless to fly the coop,
Now I can hear a clear call.
(2)
Quite ripe time to leave the world
Now nothing more to reap here,
Sheer bliss and beauty lay ahead,
No pleasures, joys or pains to bear.
(3)
Divine soothing light drizzles all over
Exactly right moment to drench in it,
And forget all earthly fret and fever,
So alluring; wait no more even a bit.
(4)
No thought of looking back
What’s done; what’s undone
Evanescent are all proud gains
Circle ends where it had begun.
(5)
That endless shore is the goalpost
Where ‘the best is yet to be’,
Dreams and desires vanish soon,
Wake up! Come and join me.

2 Afterlife Journey
(1)
Never mourn for me when I am gone
Life wrapped in illusion ends with bier,
The glorious path to summit is known,
Assign mortal frame to the roaring fire.
(2)
Hereafter the ethereal body rises up
Towards that soothing Divine light,
The uncaged soul in chariot breezes up,
To mingle with Immortality, too right.
(3)
Nothing tiresome or tortuous on the way
It’s only covered with lots of worldly dust,
Now everything lies ahead as clear as day,
Power, prize fame look like a showy bust.
(4)
Through the seven worlds the chariot goes
Nothing exists in that calm meditative state,
Pains, pleasures or joys, forever they pause,
No sensual emotion of affection, love or hate.
(5)
Emptiness paves the path to the wholeness
Its mysterious energy makes the universe,
And expands soul’s experience of nothingness,
It stays above consciousness, boon or curse.
(6)
Soul keeps moving nicely discovering itself
In this wondrous, vast and balmy emptiness,
Pure vibes help the soul feel the path of Self,
In the highest world of pure-consciousness.
(7)
Here all earthly impressions have vanished
Flashes of ‘no mind’ state begin to appear,
Fruits of pure-consciousness are ravished,
Emancipated soul ever lives there happier.

3 Death- My Companion
(1)
She is the only friend I can trust
At her mere glimpse joy abounds
The big balloon of pride is burst
In life nothing everlasting sounds
(2)
Long friendship with her I have
So seasoned that never betrays
Ever with me so much I trust have
And comes with smile, not in rage
(3)
Her presence ever soothing and healing
Cuts and bruises received in the world
She takes me in motherly arms so lovingly
And put me to rest away from the world
(4)
Only serenity reigns, no joy or sorrow there
I can see myriad flowers of wisdom bloom
She invites all to join the paradise there
And ready to take away the pall of gloom
(5)
I remember lovely face with deep eyes
Her gentle touch breaks all petty bonds
All melts away with her curses or cries
One lives there joyfully with lasting bonds
(6)
Eagerly I wait and wait in the dreary world
Before stepping in Lethe she’ll hold my hand
Then I’ll forget all about this life and world
It’d be soothing to emerge afresh and stand

Brief Biography
B S Tyagi comes from India. He writes in both Hindi and English. He has several books- fiction and non-fiction to his credit. His poems have been included in several anthologies. He writes short stories which regularly appear in national and international literary magazines. His write-ups and poems have appeared in national and international magazines. Besides, he has translated four books of poems. He shies away from public celebrations and prizes.

Setu, November 2019

Gandhi – The Lighthouse

B S Tyagi

B. S. Tyagi

‘… Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest person whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj, freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?” – Gandhi

In fact, Gandhi, like Samkara or Kant was not a systematic academic thinker in metaphysics and political philosophy. He was a greatly inspired soul. He was akin to Socrates and Buddha coming out with his deepest feelings and realization of inherent truth. That is why his message has a universal appeal and is an inspiring force. The crux of his message is the stress on the eternal values of human being which can make life more meaningful on this planet. Today when humanistic structure is under severe threat of weapons of mass destruction and human sensitivity is waning fast, Gandhian approach which encompasses totality of life becomes more relevant and essential for a safe harmonious world. He ever listened to the silence of his soul rather than the din of the world. His basic ideal which he persistently pursued all his life till last breath, was to become a sthitaprajna – a person of steady intellect. In the Gita when Lord Krishnan describes the person with steady intellect, with which he can go beyond all ritualism, dualism and attachment for the results of actions, Arjun is keen to know more and asks Him:

Sthitaprajnasya ka bhasa, samadhisthasya kesava

Sthitadhih kim prabhaseta, kim asita vrajeta kim. 2/54

(What is the description of the man who has this firmly founded wisdom, whose being is steadfast in spirit, O Kesava? How should the man of settled intelligence speak, how should he sit, how should he walk?)

In this light of Gandhi’s character let me discuss a few of his ideas briefly but suggestively:

Gandhi inherited belief in God from his family, especially his mother who was a religious woman in traditional sense. God was a living force for him and this faith strengthened and deepened with the passage of time. So, he always felt His presence around him. He wrote, “I cannot recall a single instance when, at the eleventh hour, He (God) has forsaken me.” Such consistent faith he had! Later he said that Truth was God; it was more comprehensive idea. The existence of God can be denied but Truth cannot be shunned. The spiritual Truth, as he believed strongly, was to be realized by ‘spiritual experience, pure and disciplined holy life’. Actually, experience marks the beginning of the quest for the truth; it cannot be realized through intellect or reason or extensive study of scriptures. When heart is pure and pristine, inner experience springs forth resulting in ahimsa- non-violence. His faith in the basic concept of Truth stemmed from spiritual experience and intuition. He opined that he could live without food but not without prayer as it was the earnest expression of longing inherent in soul. His concept of ahimsa is a profound expression of compassion towards the whole mankind. Its practice brings close to all beings; simultaneously, it gives a deep sense of responsibility for their well-being. He held that ahimsa was required ‘not only in politics but in day-to-day’ life. Ahimsa needs tremendous courage as it urges man to resist violence without bitterness or hostility. Sangfroid must not be perturbed. It helps man to take a sanguine view of the situation. It is the very quintessence of moral courage which sustains human life on a higher plane of spirituality. Gandhi kept practicing and evolving it into ‘multi-pronged, layered strategy’ called Satyagrah; as a powerful weapon he used it in the struggle for freedom. It was a great experiment in politics as well as life. Actually, it was the inner energy that came from the realization of Truth. This very force inspired him to start mighty movements like civil disobedience, non-co-operation, Dandi March, Quit India et al. Besides, he was inspired by the Gita and its philosophy of detachment and selfless action. He firmly believed in what Lord Krishna wanted Arjun to imbibe in life -

Karmany eva dhikaraste, ma phalesu kadacana

Ma karmaphalahetur bhur, ma te sango stv akarmani. 2/47

(To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not fruits of action be thy motive; neither let there be in thee any attachment.)

Unlike his contemporaries Gandhi had a different approach to religion. He realized the creative force of religion in life which uplifts man above cults and creeds that confine him to rituals and ceremonies. He accepted spiritual aspect of religion that makes man more humane who works towards society with morality. No sooner does morality in life loses than one ceases to be religious. To quote Gandhi, “All religions are founded on the same moral laws. My ethical religion is made up of laws which bind men all over the world.” Religion ever gave impetus to his actions and words which had a ring of inner Truth. He professed that he was essentially a religious man in quest of Moksha – redemption of the soul from the clutches of Maya- illusion. But he never looked upon redemption as isolation; he seeks it while living in and through society doing his duty whole-heartedly towards mankind. In the spirit of the Gita he came to realize that redemption comes through Karmayoga. A karmayogi does all with complete detachment and disinterestedness. It eliminates evil forces occupying mind that degrade man from his divine nature. For Gandhi religion was a pilgrimage in search of truth. He kept searching all his life for ‘God as truth’ through selfless actions. It was his firm faith that Truth dwelled in individual at some deeper level if unearthed, it urges man to serve humanity; it is the greatest fruit of the divine spark latent in man. Truth becomes a guiding force through storms and stresses. No matter how powerful they are. Man acts fearlessly without losing calm.

Gandhi stressed on the religious basis of politics. He said that politics bereft of religion are a death trap. Religion encourages man for dynamic life full of activities and boundless love for all. The lives of Buddha and Christ, he said, were ‘inspired by the synthesis of active work and deep love.’ Thus, Gandhi’s concept of Karmayoga is founded on the teachings of the Gita and it singles him out as a man of mighty actions. He made it a tool to transform society and human life as well. His religion included justice, equality, fraternity, peace, harmony - the whole gamut of human life. Gandhi averred in no uncertain term, “To try to root out religion itself from society is a wild-goose chase. And were such attempt to succeed, it would mean the destruction of society.”

Last but not least, the most pertinent Gandhi’s concept is his way of life. He stressed on the ‘return to simplicity and plainness of nature.’ It is the direst need of today’s society, particularly the society we are living in where luxuries and pretentiousness have taken a toll on our way of life. He believed that hankering after riches and precious possessions had led man to exploitation which creates a gulf between individuals or nations. His concept of living has addressed other questions like inequality, injustice and exploitation in today’s global society. He wants a change in human nature and behavior. In the present context his way of life is the need of the hour when the whole world is worried about environment. People are hell bent on destroying nature in the mindless pursuit of development even when its pernicious effects are clearly visible everywhere. His well-known aphorism given long ago, “there is enough in the world for everyone’s need but not for every man’s greed” is a hard slap on the face of the greedy world. He was of the opinion that man must take from nature as much as can satisfy his basic needs. He knew it well that unbridled ambition of man would play havoc on natural resources. He wrote in Hind Swaraj man’s mind is like a ‘restless bird’ moving round and round in its cage and “the more it gets, the more it wants, and still remains unsatisfied.” Man needs rigorous discipline to control mind which is restless all the time. He had foreseen ecological catastrophe that the world, India in particular, is approaching fast. The UN has to lay stress on the need for saving the earth. Recently the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg has addressed the world leaders over the climate change at the UN. It was an eye opener and chastening address. Her deep concern ‘has won her millions of admirers’ all over the world. This is the gravest problem the world is facing today. The activists almost in all countries are spreading awareness about climate change. Extinction Rebellion (XR) has launched a ‘Satyagrah on climate change across the world’s major cities’. The youth have come on the streets with their demand of better future. The organization has requested the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate, India and the Indian Prime Minister ‘to declare a climate emergency’ in the country. Such is the concern of the youth!

Gandhi has answer to all these ills of today like climate change, water shortage, bad air quality, high PM2.5 levels the world is suffering acutely from. These grave problems are making this planet unlivable. Gandhian way of life addresses all these ills. Discipline and restrain in day-to-day life with moral outlook towards nature can hit the problems. He demonstrated austere discipline through his lifestyle ha had practiced during the last twenty five years of his life. He firmly believed and practiced in life what the Gita preaches:

Yuktaharaviharasya, yuktacestasya karmasu

Yuktasvapnavabodhasya, yogo bhavati dukhaha. 6/17

(Restrained in his actions, whose sleep and waking are regulated, there ensues discipline (yoga) which destroys all sorrow.)

Thus, Gandhi is today’s need we must understand it. He is the need of each and every man. Actually he is total; he cannot be taken in parts as per convenience. He is above celebrations, election campaigns and elaborate establishments and lectures. Mere lip service to Gandhi will do no good. He is a living message to mankind. He has to be accepted as a whole to improve the world. His philosophy includes every aspect of life; only then a drastic change with moral revolution can be brought about in society. Like Gandhi our invincible faith in the ‘nobility of human nature’ and spirituality can save the world from the danger of nuclear war looming large besides nature’s fury.

Setu, October 2019

The Geeta and Shelley's Adonais

B S Tyagi

B. S. Tyagi

Hegel-the great German thinker, said, ‘A poet should make his life poetry.’ The remark is true of no other English poet as of P B Shelley. At once spontaneous, passionate and impulsive Shelley is a great genius, ever pursuing his quest for truth or intellectual beauty. His poetry is the testimony to his belief. Like a metaphysical thinker he looks upon the worldly impressions on man as imperfect shadows of a higher world. He conceives of a Supreme Power prevailing through nature as well as human life. In Adonais he says:

That Light whose smile kindles the universe,

That beauty in which all things work and move, (Stanza 54)

The more Shelley thinks over life, the more he grapples with the questions related to it. He sets about finding their possible solutions like other thinkers. And it makes him a persistent seeker of truth. His serious speculation over life and its purpose sets him apart from other romantic poets.

Interestingly enough like a student of the Vedanta philosophy Shelley ponders over the serious questions- where do we come from? Why do we come in the world? What is this world where we play our destined roles? Is there any worth seeking in life?

Where are we, and why are we? Of what scene

The actors or spectators? Great and mean

Meet massed in death. Who lends what life must borrow. (Stanza 21)

Further Shelley thinks about soul and its nature. Does the soul perish with the body? Do our dreams end with death? Is it all illusion-maya in life? These perplexing questions leave all thinking humans upset. Arjuna is also greatly perturbed at the mind-boggling questions. Then Lord Krishna comes to his rescue and tells him:

Avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam

Vinasam avyayasya na kascit kartum arhati (2. 17)

That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.

Again:

Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah

Anasino prameyasya tasmad yudhyasva bharata (2. 18)

That material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharat.

Lord Krishna further explains that soul does not perish even when the body perishes. Man must understand the real nature of soul to attain peace. It cannot be destroyed by any material weapon. What is destroyed or supposed to be destroyed is the body only.

Ya enam vetti hantaram yas caiman manyate hatam

Ubhau tau na vijanito nayam hanti na hanyate (2.19)

Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain.

Shelley says:

Like incarnations of the stars, when splendor

Is changed to fragrance, they illumine death

And mock the merry worm that wakes beneath

Nought we know dies: shall that alone which knows

Be as a sword consumed before the sheath

By sightless lightning? The intense atom glows

A moment, then is quenched in a most cold repose. (Stanza 20)

Thus Shelley believes in the immortality of soul. It hardly matters if body is destroyed. God is the creator of this universe; and all things after death go back to Him for eternal rest. Noble souls shine through various objects of nature. Their pure radiance can be felt. Their sacredness is all palpable.

God dawned on chaos. In its stream immersed.

The lamps of heaven flash with a softer light;

All baser things pant with life’s sacred thirst.

Diffuse themselves, and spend in love’s delight. (Stanza 19)

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna:

Anta kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram

Yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samsayah (8. 5)

And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

Again:

Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram

Tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah (8.6)

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.

Further Shelley looks upon nature as possible origin of man’s life and vital significance of death which is not terrible or frightening at all. It ends all worldly evils which eat our body away day and night and weaken it. Nothing can destroy soul. It is ever unaffected. It is eternal and a perennial source of bliss. The Geeta says:

Nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah

Na cainam kledayanty apo na sasayati marutah (2.23)

The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

Again:

Acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam akledyo ’sosya eva ca

Nityah sarva-gatah sthanur acalo ’yam sanatanah (2.24)

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting; present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

Shelley is wholly aware of the fact that soul being the part of the Eternal is awakened, clean and eternal source of bliss and on the way to mingle with Him. Therefore, there is no reason to mourn the death of Keats who has become one with the Eternal. Nothing can tease or tire him. Death can do no harm to him.

Peace, peace! He is not dead, he doth not sleep!

He hath awakened from the dream of life.

‘Tis we who, lost in stormy visions, keep

With phantoms an unprofitable strife, (Stanza 39)

Again:

He lives, he wakes-’tis Death is dead, not he;

Mourn not for Adonais-Thou young Dawn,

Turn all thy dew to splendor, for from thee

The spirit thou lamentest is not gone! (Stanza 41)

The Geeta says:

Na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam, bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah

Ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano, na hanyate hanyamane sarire (2. 20)

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Lord Krishna forbids Arjuna to mourn the death of his kith and kin because it is body (and never the soul) that dies. He must understand this fact of life and try hard to come out of this great illusion that keeps man ever so low. Due to this illusion he mistakes body for the divine spark.

Avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam avikaryo ’yam ucyate

Tasmad evam viditvainam nanusocitum arhasi (2. 25)

It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

Again:

Atha cainam nitya-jatam nityam va manyase mrtam

Tathapi tvam maha-baho nainam socitum arhasi (2. 26)

If, however, you think that the soul (or the symptoms of life) will always be born and die forever, you will have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.

Shelley says:

He is made one with nature. There is heard

His voice in all her music. (Stanza 42)

The Geeta says:

Avyaktadini bhutani vyakta-madhyani bharata

Avyakta-nidhanany eva tatra ka paridevana (2.28)

All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?

Shelley firmly believes:

The One remains, the many change and pass;

Heaven’s light for ever shines, earth’s shadows fly;

Life, like a dome of many colored glass,

Stains the white radiance of eternity,

Until Death tramples it to fragments-Die, (Stanza 52)

Shelley holds that body is only a means to reach the goal. It is dust and to the dust it returns; so nothing to be proud of. Only the soul remains and it goes back to its eternal source.

Dust to the dust; but the pure spirit shall flow

Back to the burning fountain whence it came,

A portion of the Eternal, which must glow

Through time and change, unquenchably the same, (Stanza 38)

In the Geeta Arjuna says:

Yatha nadinam bahavo ’mbu-vegah, samudram evabhimukhkha dravanti

Tatha tavami nara-loka-vira , visanti vaktrany abhivijalanti (11. 28)

As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouth.

Again:

Yatha pradiptam jvalanam patanga

Visanti nasaya samrdha-vegah

Tathaiva nasaya visanti lokas

Tavapi vaktrani samrdha-vegah (11. 29)

I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.

The soul gives up the body and mingles itself with its fountain-head. Shelley is further led to propound that the soul after liberation from the body becomes one with nature. In fact, here Shelley’s theism has come out spontaneously; otherwise he is believed to be an atheist. His theism, however, is closely akin to the Greek pantheism (i.e.-the belief that God is everything and everything is God)

He is a presence to be felt and known

In darkness and in light, from herb and stone,-

Spreading itself where’er that Power may move

Which has withdrawn his being to its own, (Stanza 42)

Again:

He is a portion of the loveliness

Which once he made more lovely. He doth bear

His part, while the One Spirit’s plastic stress

Sweeps through the dull dense world; compelling there (Stanza 43)

Shelley believes in God’s omnipresence. It is He who is reflected in every soul. Without His presence no life can be imagined in the universe. Arjuna is overwhelmed to see Him in every object of Nature. He fell prostrate in utter blissfulness.

Tvam adi-devah purusah puranas

Tvam asya visvasya param nidhanam

Vettasi vedyam ca param ca dhama

Tvaya tatam visvam ananta-rupa (11. 38)

You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!

Neither life nor death has power to blot the brightness of Nature; it may veil it for a while. All human beings are the living entities of that great heavenly beauty in which all beings work and move.

…as each are mirrors of

The fire for which all thirst, now beams on me

Consuming the last clouds of cold mortality. (Stanza 54)

The mortal attraction of flesh hampers man’s spiritual growth and inner journey toward consciousness. And we are eaten constantly by fears, desires, aspirations, attachments, avarice, hopes, lust, joys, sorrows et al like worms.

…We decay

Like corpses in a charnel; fear and grief

Convulse us and consume us day by day,

And cold hopes swarm like worms within our living clay. (Stanza 39)

Actually man awakes after enlightenment; he realizes his true nature and meaning of life.

He hath awakened from the dream of life.

‘tis we who, lost in stormy visions, keep

With phantoms an unprofitable strife,

And in mad trance strike with our spirit’s knife

Invulnerable nothings. (Stanza 39)

Man’s whole life is spent in petty and worthless pursuits. It is death that frees us from all worldly bondages, weaknesses and vices which bind us to the illusionary world and its mortal things which look joyful outwardly. But in fact, this world is a constant source of sorrow and shackles.

He has outsoared the shadow of our night;

Envy and calumny and hate and pain,

And that unrest which men miscall delight,

Can touch him not and torture not again; (Stanza 40)

The Geeta says:

Vihaya Kaman yah sarvan pumams carati nihsprhah

Nirmamo nirahankarah sa santim adhigacchati (2. 71)

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego-he alone can attain real peace.

Death is not a disgusting thing; nor horrible as perceived in general. It is an inevitable phase of life. It is a gentle touch of divinity that makes us unite with the Great Spirit of the universe, annihilates the work of time, only to clothe it with Eternity. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna not to lament for the bodily change.

Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya

Navani grhnati naro ’parani

Tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany

Anyani samyati navani dehi (2.22)

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

It is crystal-clear that Shelley was much more than Arnold’s ineffectual angel. He did speculate on the most philosophical problems of life and made them the plank of some of his most ambitious work such as Adonais. And he has discussed them threadbare in the light of his awakening. To quote Edmund, ‘No man ever preached the triumph of the spiritual over the material more eloquently than he. It is the undertone of all his poetry and in Adonais it bursts forth into a mighty symphony which voices all the warrants of our immortality in everlasting music.’

Setu, August 2019

Poetry: Leaves and Dreams

B S Tyagi

B. S. Tyagi

(i)
In the garden all alone I am sitting
Moon beams are raining all around
Nature at its best but no bird chirping
Dry twigs and leaves cover the ground
Peace, piety and joy enchantingly abound
At times trees softly rustle at the far end
But alas! Nothing so engaging here I found
Though something soothing the stars send,
Celestial song the Almighty has ever penned.

(ii)
Full-moon is shining in the cloudless sky
Its glory and grace floating in the crisp air
Pious quietude fills the earth and the sky
Presence of the Spirit prevails everywhere
Dew drops beginning to fall from the air
Grass looks, wet, clear, bright and bare
Everything in holy silence is drowned
Such Nature’s boundless bounty rare
When heavenly bliss descends on the ground

(iii)
A moment before wind passed grazing me
Hundreds of leaves are lying under my feet
Like my dreams trampled down I can see
To lonesome heart they wished to give a beat
But as ugly and unwanted them they treat
Disgrace and denial in the world they meet
To such a man nothing remains alluring
And dreams all small or big untimely fleet
All friends and dear ones no more assuring

(iv)
Now the wind is calm, the night is still
Like my lovely dreams tired and asleep
Restive heart needs a tranquilizing pill
Good harvest of miseries here I’m to reap
Burden of decaying dreams breaks my will
Unlike these silent trees I feel no high thrill
All the leaves will be lying here no more
The heat of time dries up my hopes’ rill
At the end of life’s journey I’m lying on the shore

(v)
In the fields far, far away leaves are lying
Where they decompose into a life anew
And serve as manure to the seeds growing
Gentle breeze coming to help all renew
No sign of life poor dreams are showing
As if buried in musty cell began destroying
Unlike these leaves they have lost glow
Slowly towards the grave they’re going
Soon before my eyes disappear without taking a bow.

(vi)
Moon is going slowly behind a fleecy cloud
Lo! Long tree shadows magically shorten
Of this receding beauty one feels proud
Cool pure night and tree tops softly brighten
Despair and grief in my aching heart heighten
Numbness all over slowly begins to grow high
Sitting with down head as if drunken
Now to the world I must say good-bye
My eyes, my cheeks and lips beginning to harden

Setu, July 2019

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