Corona, मत तो करो ना ! 😂

Trying to find and keep humour in these trying times of Corona outbreak. Happy reading and reviewing!

Also, Corona मत तो करो ना ! 😂

Recitation on YouTube - Corona, मत तो करो ना ! —

करो ना, करो ना —

घर से मत निकलो ना!

भीड़ से दूर रहो ना!

हाथ बार बार धोना!

रहो ना, रहो ना —

Quarantined रहो ना!

Work from home करो ना।

Stay safe at home बंधु ना!

Mask पहन लो ना।

संक्रमण से बचो ना।

बच्चों और बुजुर्गों‌, ख़ास एहतियात बरतो ना!

Virus का प्रकोप क्षीण करो ना।

Corona को जड़ से उखाड़ दो ना।

मानवता की एकता की शक्ति संजोना।

ऐसा पासा पलटो ना।

Corona भी हारे ना!

Corona भी कहे ना —

इनसे दूर ही रहना!

ए भाई, मत तो करो ना!

ज़िन्दगी

ज़िन्दगी ?! - नई रचना - पढ़ें और परखें।

ज़िन्दगी क्या है? –

यही मेरा सवाल है

एक प्राणी कि कश्मकश बन –

सैंकड़ो किस्से उसमे दफ़न

कुछ राह में ख़्वाब पूरे –

तो कुछ रह गए अधूरे

एहसासों का एक सैलाब

कभी खुशियों के झरनें - तो कहीं आंसूओं भरे तलाब

एक उम्र रिश्ते जोड़ने, एक उम्र निभाने में

एक उम्र नई ज़िन्दगी संवारने, एक थकी ज़िन्दगी उभारने में

क्या मौत भी एक ज़िन्दगी है?

शायद एक नई ज़िन्दगी की शुरुआत है

वो जिसकी सिर्फ कल्पना है

हक़ीक़त समय के अधीन है

ज़िन्दगी क्या है

ये अब भी मेरे लिए सवाल है

बहुत कुछ जाना है हमने 

पर कई हैं राज़ अब भी खुलने

मनुष्य का जीवन रहते अगर जवाब मिल जाए,

तो रोचक नहीं यह ज़िन्दगी, अगर सवाल ही ना रह पाए

तो, ज़िन्दगी क्या है? – ये सवाल तो है मेरा

मगर बेहतर कि ये सवाल बिन जवाब ही रह जाए, तेरा या मेरा!

PERCEPTION

New blog-post highlighting PERCEPTION matters.

Why do we dread negativity?

When it is disguised positivity!

Half-empty is half full

Perception is beautiful!

The calm before the storm

Can calm lead to the storm?

Or storm leads to calm

Ever wondered, storm is the new calm?

Likewise, coin - two sides - head and tail

You will succeed lest you fail

No pain no gain, rather

Make your pain your gain!

There is beauty in perception —

Madness - genius; don't we all sense connection?

There is beauty in a blank page

Void or fresh start — depending on one's gauge

Negativity is positivity and positivity - negativity

The two extremes — all or none - can they be one - is that a possibility?

Well, just like impossible is possible and possible is impossible

Perception, my friend, your power — to make or break a bubble!

YOU

Saluting both the faces of the coin you are and you are not! 

You are Zen, you are Zero.

तुम शून्य हो, तुम क्षितिज भी हो।

तुम ही रावण हो, तुम राम हो।

You are the devil, you are God too.

You are an utter chaos, but you are peace too.

तुम प्रलय हो, तुम शांति भी हो।

तुम एक भ्रम हो, तुम सच्चाई भी हो।

You are an illusion, and yet a reality too.

You are destruction and you are rejuvenation.

तुम विनाश हो, तुम उत्पत्ति भी हो।

तुम कहीं नहीं हो, तुम सर्वव्यापक हो।

You are nowhere, you are ubiquitous.

You are evanescent, you are stable too.

तुम क्षणभंगुर हो, तुम स्थायी भी हो।

तुम अज्ञानी हो, तुम ज्ञानी भी हो।

You are ignorant, you are aware.

You are agile, you are calm too.

तुम चंचल हो, तुम स्थिर भी हो।

तुम जीवन हो, तुम मौत भी हो।

You are life, you are death.

You are nothing, you are everything.

तुम कुछ भी नहीं हो, तुम सब कुछ भी हो।

तुम हो, तुम नहीं भी हो।

You are, you are not! 

31/12/19

अभिव्यक्ति गरबा

Hola guys!!! An attempt reminiscing my journey (observations and indulgences) of doing garba since 10/10/10... Also, happy गणेश चतुर्थी marking the beginning of garba fever...

अभिव्यक्ति गरबा

सितंबर का महीना गणपति बप्पा की गूंज से सराबोर

ढोल की ताल पर थिरकते कुछ कदम

तो कुछ ताल की लय से कोसों दूर

हर दिन है एक नया दिन, नया अवतार, नया पहनावा 

कुछ देह पर, तो कुछ ज़हन में।

कभी सब एक से पहनावे या एक रंग में -

लय में गुजराती गानों की गूंज से ओतप्रोत

तो कभी अंतर्मन में ही थिरकते अनजान कदम, 

मानो मीरा कृष्ण की छवि में मग्न

कान्हा के संग गोपियां / राधा के संग कृष्ण / मीरा कृष्ण में मग्न

कुछ ऐसा रहता गरबा का सफ़र साल दर साल

एक महीने के प्रशिक्षण के बाद पांच दिवसीय समापन

नवरात्रि के आरंभ के पाँच दिनों में -

अभिव्यक्ति गरबा की गूंज से महकता सम्पूर्ण भोपाल!

और कृष्ण-राधा की तरह कहीं नयन मिलते तो कहीं रूह,

कहीं बात बनती तो कहीं नहीं

डांडिया घूम घूमकर वृत्त के एक छोर से दूसरे -

 छोर तक बयान करता कई दिलों की दास्तान

अतरंगी भीड़, सतरंगी पहनावे, 

पूरा शहर एक नए रूप में ढल सा जाता।

गुजराती पहनावे और आभूषण में लैस युवक युवतियां

गुजराती धुनों पर गरबा खेलते।

और इसी तरह यह एक महीने का सफ़र दुर्गा पूजा के साथ अलविदा कहता हर साल, इस वादे के साथ कि

अगले साल फिर गणपति की गूंज के साथ आना

और

अभिव्यक्ति गरबा की शान बढ़ाना!

2/9/19

GAME OF PRIORITIES

Hi guys! Back with a new poem - written with an attempt to question the societal norms set forth and follow what one's heart desires... As, "you are a society's product - agreed; but then, it's creator too"!

Happy reading, thinking out of the box and commenting!!!

GAME of PRIORITIES

   

Doing everything in a set time frame is acceptable
So adhere to it, although, shatter your poor heart, it does - save you from society's (every) label.

Graduate at 21, work by 22, marry by 25, produce kids by 27 and so on and so forth...
Time-table life has more appeal in society than following the dreams one has set - henceforth...

Being the social animal man is, the society lays down its T&Cs for him;
Some can be followed, others mended; mostly broken according to whim;

A time-table life does always suffocate one
You need to bend the rules when you can and mend them once you're done.

For you are a society's product - agreed; but then, its creator too!
Your existence is owed to society, likewise, it too owes you!

So follow life's timetable or your heart, that ideally shouldn't be a choice
when you can actually do both, as in harmony exist science and art; with equal poise!

Don't really need to fit in, when you can think out of the box; stand out!

In any case, you will be judged for decisions you took, regardless, they were yours or not
So why not let them be yours since it's definitely your life, which will make many things sort..

So - set your priorities, let them be different, let them not adhere to social norms;
or let them adhere; totally, your call -
But, don't be a victim of society, be the one that brings in it a reform!

1/9/19
  

उड़ता Punjab?!

Hola guys! An attempt to touch base with a grave and taboo issue plaguing the society - DRUGS!!!

उड़ता Punjab?!

Drugs, Alcohol ; कश,दारु - synonymous with addiction, नशा;

No matter how much their use is justified,

they will use us by the day's end

or if not stopped, might I say life's end.

Pot, चिल्ल्म, गाँजा - फूँककर अनायास ही हो जाएगी ख़ुद फुंक जाने की तैयारी।

क्या सच में है यह भोले का प्रसाद?

Man customizes God to suit his fancies 

and when one messes with drugs in the name of God;
He/she gets him/herself messed up in return.

Weed, tobacco, alcohol, acid, ecstasy, shrooms, coke, opioids, meth, heroin, DMT -

no matter how common names they be given - 

they will treat you uncommonly if taken commonly...

It's just a matter of chance you do it for the first time

but no more a chance when you continue the abuse

and when drugs abuse you higher chances of addiction and outside intervention are needed...

So, asking doing how much is really bad?

doesn't really have a clear answer

Addiction by the end of the day is just so - 

less or more of an addict is at the end - an addict.

It is a vicious cycle once it starts -

first you start using, then drugs use you, you abuse them more, they abuse you manifold;

and the cycle continues...

Either one quits or the drugs make his/her life quit.

So it is a clear deal - say NO to drugs and alcohol, or don't - your choice

But repurcussions the abuse will have on you will never be your choice!

It all starts with one step - the addiction- just curiosity or peer pressure or self-medication

And even ends with one step - quitting, taking outside help

or if not that, ends with - an end to one's life...

Soar the sky, fly high

but not by doing drugs - 

Don't smoke सुट्टा else सुट्टा will, in all its glory, smoke you!

Need of the hour - नशा मुक्त भारत न ही उड़ता पंजाब!!

TRAIN SCRIBBLINGS...

Travel enthusiasts hola!!! Something I hope the traveller in each of us will relate to...

And the journey begins..

Only, this time in train…

& I find myself bereft of sleep

Again, as the train tosses and turns me…

Some familiar sounds…

Some not so…

And just four hours to the next destination

Seem like four years..

Tossing and turning with the train…

Then I turn to social media -

Pinging long lost friends…

Meaninglessly trying to -

Find some meaning…

The consistent movement chuk, chuk, chuk…

Takes me to a different place in time;

Both figuratively and obviously literally

Stretching myself from head to toe;

In the three-tier A.C. coach's compartment's uppermost berth;

Trying to fit in, again literally and figuratively…

With a myriad thoughts running through my head…

Typed in docs on my phone

As I ineffectively strain myself

to peep out of the window in the neighbouring compartment…

The train goes chuk, chuk

And so do I -

Travel to a different dimension of time and frame of mind…

Only to soon discover

my next destination has arrived…

in time

which seems now

like four minutes…

A proof that in an attempt to pass time

Time passes us all by……

2/7/19

जात

नमस्ते! एक गंभीर मुद्दे को उठाने का प्रयास करते हुए प्रस्तुत है नई कविता -

जात

किस जात के हो तुम?

मुझे जवाब नहीं जानना।

मेरा प्रश्न है - किस जात के हो तुम?

चलो रहने दो - अपनी बात करती हूँ।

मैं कायस्थ हूँ, क्षत्रिय - वो जो युद्ध के समय लड़े

और शांति में राज करे।

पर क्या मैने ऐसा कुछ किया?

नहीं पर मेरे जन्म पर ही मेरी जात का निर्णय हो गया था।

उसी प्रकार मेरे घर जो खाना बनाती है उसकी भी।

अंतर करो और राज करो -

इसी विचारधारा से तो हम एक दूसरे को बाँटते हैं।

हिन्दू को मुस्लिम से, मुस्लिम को हिन्दू से लड़ाते हैं।

किसी की जात से उसकी औकात का फैंसला करते हैं।

फिर पूछती हूँ - तुम्हारी जात क्या है?

वो जात नहीं जो तुम्हारे जन्म से तय हो गयी थी,

पर जात तो वही होती है ना!

सर्वोपरी तुम्हारी जात यह है कि तुम इंसान हो।

इसे मत भूलो!

MANIPAL

Hello everyone, from MANIPAL - the theme of my next BLOGetry...

MANIPAL is not a city, it's a state of mind

Mostly high, due to the hills and the people

Very scenic, lush greenery, beaches nearby

Pleasant or otherwise humid, mostly pouring…

Literal meaning - mud pond in Kannada

A pond, rather a mighty downpour of - students, money, muddy waters - an educational hub figuratively:

Of students from all over the country and abroad.

Home to MIT, KMC, MAHE and other institutions galore.

For me, MANIPAL is an emotion -

My very first getaway from home on my feet

My brother's Alma Mater - witnesses of his many firsts
My home beyond my home in fact - home to our first pet - a cat Lucy

A city which healed me in some ways if not all;

But then again -

MANIPAL is not a city; it's a state of mind...

Rapunzel

A perspective on 𝑅𝒶𝓅𝓊𝓃𝓏𝑒𝓁'𝓈 situation...

𝓡𝓪𝓹𝓾𝓷𝔃𝓮𝓵 

I wonder what Rapunzel did

All by herself in the tower amid

Till she was rescued by the prince

I really wonder, what Rapunzel did?

What kept her curious mind alight

When nothing worthwhile was in her sight

And day in and day out the same story

repeated and faded, in and out, in and out its glory

One might argue - 'But, there is plenty to do!

Sing & dance, read & write, draw & paint, knit & sew

One always, always has occupation

You never really run out of options, there's procreation!'

And yet enough of that and all that there is!

If you don't walk out on the road, how do you taste bliss?

Just the four walls and the ceiling;

There's more to life that's much appealing

For all my love for fairy tales and all that jazz;

My heart goes out to Rapunzel stuck in the tower alas..

For she has to be her prince and rescue herself

& conquer the world & stop being the story in a book on someone's shelf!!