REGISTER — THIS DAY
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
You just register; this day —
That, in a short span of time
thousand years,
old and decayed
mansion of slavery
shall be seen broken
and scattered on the earth!
For thousand years —
An orchard
smeared with fresh blood
of the poor, farmers, labourers
and working class
shall be found
totally deserted!
New fire will emerge
from the smoke of suppression,
and will be seen
surging in the sky!
With that
the camps of plunderers
shall vanish
and in the morning
simultaneously
their ashes will be seen
diffusing in the air!
CHANGE — INEVITABLE
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
New Wind
which has been blown —
Will get momentum, tomorrow,
and will turn into
a roaring puff
of a ceaseless storm!
And the snow
which has just melted
by the rage of the age —
will tomorrow become
the strong force of currents,
and will certainly change
the face of the earth!
The light jostle
that is just stuck today —
The same
will stir and turn
upside down the earth,
and will give it
a new shape, decidedly!
THE PATH’S BEND
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
The bend of the path
is dear to me.
A rather too long way
makes me bored,
For no reason
I get plunged into the
sluggish weariness
without knowing anything.
When I fail to see
anything new on
the oft-beaten track
I'm unable to walk.
Therefore, a hearty
welcome to every
new bend, a welcome
overbrimmed with deep emotion!
What otherwise in this,
if the turn of the path is so
dear to me, so close
to my heart!
MOST WANTED
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
May there be
on the sweet lips
a smile like a
blossomed lotus flower!
Or there be a
lovely song full of
rapturous feelings!
A smile
A sweet song —
are rare to find
in this cursed age!
Hard to see them,
limitlessly hard to see them.
Only there is a
very deep layer of
snow on the quiet
blue-hued lips.
In every heart is a
rattling crop of pain,
The seeds of joy
do'nt exist, except
stupefied limbs.
The man,
looks lifeless —
like a portrait,
searching life
of rainbow colours!.
GOOD OMENS
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
What unknown does
make my heart
filled with delight today
Since morning!
All of a sudden
A melodious note,
the right eye throbs
intermittantly perforce!
At a far off height
there spreads a strange
deep golden glow,
A red rose has
bloomed for the first
time in the flower pot!
God knows to what
unknown self-good
this is a pretty prelude!
The body-jasmine
laden with flowers of thrills!
Possibly, we may meet today!
IN CHORUS
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Come, you sweet-throated
Songstress, sing out
the life’s thirst.
May the whole creation
resound with seven notes,
the lonely path may
become an orchestral board!
Bring various instruments
of melodious music,
play on them;
bring the solemn drum,
the lyre and, the divine surbahar1.
Sing, ye, O! Sweet-throated one!
Sing out the life’s thirst.
[1 A musical instrument like guitar.]
AT MIDDAY
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
At midday
despairing and crestfallen
I bemoan
I am not
by your side!
Lonely,
drowsy and dreamy
I peer constantly
at the path
through the door ajar!
The searing sun
blears the eyes more.
The sizzling, striding
wind herald
conveys your tidings.
Mute!
Perceiving your arrival
instantly springing up,
I enfold her in my arms
and clasp her
in a soothing, comfy embrace.
Alas!
With the waning noon
my agony
deepens more and more!
Phone : 0751-2341955
AN EVENING
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Life
denotes stillness!
Today too
nothing unusual came about
and the day slipped away.
The vagrant sunshine
did come.
I longed to spend
a few moments with her.
But alas
only gloom befriended me!
Migratory birds flew in
but completely perplexed
I simply stared at them!
No one lingered,
the usual monotony prevailed.
The doleful heart
kept forbearing!
Life
connotes dullness,
grimness!
MEMOIRS
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
[ 1 ]
Life was serene; turned into a groan.
Life was sacred; turned into a crime.
Always stood by justice and truth,
Life became a witness of fraud!
[ 2 ]
We swallowed bile throughout life,
and the skies always poured misfortunes
but the vicissitudes of times
made all harshnesses ineffectual!
UNWANTED
Sweet and sanguine
virgin, surging longings,
nestling in my heart
since ages
are now abandoned!
Naïve and innocuous
they seemed
warmly snuggling in my heart.
Affectionate, they lolled
throughout the day!
At night
luridly lurked
like rajnihasa
or rajnigandha.
Today they have
all evaporated!
O, Rajnihasa!
Extremely discontented I am!
The consummation of long cherished desires
the coveted festivities of golden future
are all facing fruitlessness.
The night of crystal dreams,
the honeyed talks
are all renounced and
mute!
My mind gathers wool,
my eyes blear!
The sweet spring has passed,
o, sweetheart,
the golden era is over!
WHO COULD FORESEE
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
The sunrays seemed suffusing
the pinnacles
and the nethermost limits
of the universe!
The life appeared clothed in
new enlightenment.
The earth seemed adorned
with rare golden grandeur
and all sides resounded
with the sweetest songs!
It could not be foreseen
that one day things would have
such a sudden turn for the worse
causing a great havoc,
leaving us stunned
in our tracks, directionless!
That destiny would snuff out
all splendour from our world
by decaying all fragranat flowers
to seethe us with virulence!
Ah, that
wretched submission
would devastate us
so ignominiously!
And that
crestfallen, with heavy hearts
we would consign our faith
to the flames of negativity
and trudge home alone
to sing dirges
throughout life!
PRAYER
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Bestow melancholy,
grant derision of defeat,
confer morbid hopelessness,
but
do not take away
the hope of triumph!
Do not smother the whiffs of dawn!
With the prop of newfangled aspirations
we shall drag on with the dismal life
the life of deficiencies!
Let there be betrayal,
let disloyalty haunt us
at every amorous step,
bequeath faithlessness, endless like the mirage,
but do not still the songs on lips!
Do not rub out the moving music
from the dulcet throat!
On this planet earth
imbued with the sensibility of faith,
indulging in fancies
we shall while away
our listless youth!
We shall live through every wet monsoon
and spend our dreary, lonely life!
SECOND BIRTH
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Initiation of life
once more
without any intuitive percipience
or the prenatal connectivity!
Is it necessary to link
'present' to the 'past'?
even when it is difficult to fathom
the depth of real life?
Life : not an enigma?
Its significance may be simple
its connotation profound
without any sub-plot
or predicamental queasy wounds!
Deeper the quest –
agonizing propensity,
closer search for relevance-link –
more bewilderment!
Is the present overborne
by distress and gloom?
Is the glossy citadel of faith
targeted by the missile of suspicion?
No, never!
SOLICITATION
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Like a carved cameo
you are
having well chiseled limbs
and feature glowing profusely
with youthful glamour!
When the golden rays of dawn
smooched the spasmodic heaves
of your voluptuous body
your entire epidermis
got rejuvenesced
and the pulsating heart
suffused you with love
from top to toe.
A soulful onyx you are
flush with spontaneous love
and douched with intense emotions!
Please bestow on me
my cherished wish
of minimal pleasure of your lavish love
and a brief hug of your body!
Kindly fill my eager heart
with your surging love!
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Throughout the night
snarling wind, like a drunkard,
kept rocking the thatched roof
and mud walls of the hut!
Morbid terror
surged round the hut.
Throughout the night
four eyes
could not have a wink of sleep.
Utter gloom poured copiously
Yet
hope for the bright dawn of future life
could not be cowered
for a single moment;
although the wind howled menacingly
throughout the night!
GOOD WISHES
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
To the nations fighting against
imperialist forces,
whose brave people have
resolved to martyrise themselves,
I send my good wishes.
May they be victorious!
I convey my conviction
o, dauntless!
Final victory will be yours!
The entrenched fortifications
of your tyrants will be shaken.
The selfish
and the expansionist empires
will crumble down!
The liberated and the fearless masses
from a position of power
will proclaim
the victory of their motherland!
We know
and you as well
that the most coveted aim
in the world is
the individual's freedom
in his own behoof.
On the earth
not a single soul
should deprived of
the foremost right
of individual freedom!
So the struggle you are waging,
infusing the youthful vigour
in the nation's arteries,
I too am partaking of the same
and am humming
the song of country's freedom!
ESSENTIAL
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Change this order
that a man be afraid of another,
Remove such a state
that a man has hatred for another.
That our elders give us counsel like this —
''Son, don't be afraid of snake
every snake is not poisonous,
listening to its hiss you can save yourself easily.
Don't be afraid of murderous lion too
every lion is not a man-eater,
listening to its roar you can save yourself easily.
Love without wiles animals and birds,
let them gather around you,
let them cling to your body.
Try, they are not afraid of you,
seeing you they do not run away,
fluttering their wings they do not fly away,
may it be a bird, a squirrel, a mongoose,
simply by your touch, the beerbahooti1
in self defence, does not show itself as lifeless,
hearing sound of your foot-steps
a rabbit does not gallop in vaulting motion.
But, remain aloof,
vigilant and cautious of this creature — man!
Who doesn't hiss or roar
but stings straight for its ends,
it attacks your hind,
at times it tears to pieces this or that —
may it be a man, an animal,
a bird, a flower, a leaf, a butterfly, a fire-fly!
To attain its, only its selfish motive
this man speaks very sweet,
tries to put down sugar-coated words in the hearers' ears!
But, keeps its poisonous hood suppressed!
Respectfully gives knock at your door,
pays homage, praises you
and then destroys all / breaks you from all sides
leaves you in turbulence to lament!
Be your own shield before this man,
Remain hungry and unclothed,
but don't fall in its trap!
If you perform like this —
you will survive a century and will pass time happily!''
We have to change this situation —
Why a man plunders a man
and makes him blood-stained,
Why the mighty commit an outrage with the weak,
cruely assault him unopposed and tyrannize him?
And afterwards
attend temple or mosque or church or gurudvara,
bowing before God sing a devotional song!
1 A typical small red insect which appears when first rains fall.
LIBERTY : SELF-RESTRAINED
— Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
The blue is omnipresent
— for every living being,
gives full opportunities to all!
Birds!
Fly,
fly with set-free wings!
Accomplish upwards flights,
flights high —
far out and away,
having maximum potency,
Birds! perform.
Uprise with confidence,
reach your destination,
reach upto your desired aim!
High, higher, still higher,
fly speedily —
like super-sonic sound-waves!
Fly fearlessly!
This blue is omnipresent
— for every living being!
In limitless empty space
take turns where ever / as you desire,
fly where ever / as you prefer!
Take turns like this; like that,
fly like this; like that,
fly with comfort, with convenience!
Attain your goal!
Self-willed, unobstructed;
rise above with head held high,
far off
touching the sky,
birds, perform flights!
No one
should come in any body's way,
should be an obstacle
in fulfillment
of any body's will!
Let all be free-willed,
self- disciplined-bound,
controlled and balanced
fellow-travellers!
110 BalwantNagar, Gandhi Road, Gwalior — 474002 [M.P.] INDIA
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar & His Poems
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's is one of the significant post-independence voices in Hindi and Indian English Poetry, expressing the lyricism and pathos, aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect. Rooted deep into the Indian soil, his poems reflect not only the moods of a poet but of a complex age.
Born : 26 June 1926: Jhansi (U.P.), Edu. : M.A. (1948), Ph.D. (1957) from Nagpur University; Retd. Professor.
Several volumes of poetry in English and other languages are published, viz. In French 'A MODERN INDIAN POET : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : UN POÈTE INDIEN ET MODERNE; In English Forty Poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar After The Forty Poems Exuberance and other poems Dr.Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry Death Perception : Life Perception Passion and Compassion Poems : For A Better World A Handful of Light Lyric-Lute. etc. Poems are translated in most of the Indian languages.
Published research & critical studies :
(1) Living Through Challenges : A Study of Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry
(2) Poet Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : His Mind And Art.
Adviser — 'POETCRIT' (H.P.) & 'VICHAR-DRISHTI' (Delhi-Patna) At present — Reasearch Guide in many Indian Universities.
Contact : 110 BalwantNagar, Gandhi Road, Gwalior — 474 002 (M.P.) INDIA / Phone : 0751-4092908 / E-Mail : drmahendrabh@rediffmail.com
WITH FLAGS OF PEACE
Poet : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
No matter how vigorous
The drum-beat of war may be
We shall hold fast
The banner of peace aloft!
And the suppression of the voice of peace
We shall not allow!
From the dawn of history
We have faith in peace and humanity,
Gautam and Gandhi are dearest to our hearts!
Molesting anyone is sin for us,
We come not in any body's way
Quarrels we do not pick,
World friendship and mutual love
Is our message eternal,
Enough affection have we
For the tormented and destructed world!
Our hands will uplift the down-trodden,
And we shall save
Millions of down-cast mute molested
Fear-stricken injured sisters
From the cruel clutches of the devils!
We love smiles of children innocent;
Alluring are the folk-songs of the shepherds and farmers!
We shall never let these songs of mirth
Turn into painful sighs and groans!
Nor let the smiles be blood-stained!
We pledge we shall never let the lightning
Crash on the innocent dreams of Resurgent Man!
WOMAN REBORN
Poet : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
You aren't a purse-purchased commodity of man,
Nor are you the soulless slave girl,
The brainless hand-maid and the lifeless doll.
No longer are you the age-old
Down-trodden footwear of man,
Not a source of pleasure and pastime any more
Frailty is not thy name.
A bed of roses you desire not.
Nor are you caught in the whirl-pool any more
But banks distant you adorn now.
No longer shall injustice crush you,
New power and zeal of the time is with you;
Your hands are now free from chains;
Prison social or personal confines you not,
Nor does man dominate your mind and body
That you submit to his whims
And utter not a complaint even by chance.
On behalf of the youths millions of the world
I speak, not as your lord, but as a friend;
I simply wish to bind you
With bonds silken of eternal love!
(Dr. Bhatnagar’s Phone : 0751-2341955
Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's is one of the significant post-independence voices in Hindi and Indian English Poetry, expressing the lyricism and pathos, aspirations and yearnings of the modern Indian intellect. Rooted deep into the Indian soil, his poems reflect not only the moods of a poet but of a complex age.
Born : 26 June 1926: Jhansi (U.P.), Edu. : M.A. (1948), Ph.D. (1957) from Nagpur University; Retd. Professor.
Several volumes of poetry in English and other languages are published, viz. In French 'A MODERN INDIAN POET : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : UN POÈTE INDIEN ET MODERNE; In English Forty Poems of Mahendra Bhatnagar After The Forty Poems Exuberance and other poems Dr.Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry Death Perception : Life Perception Passion and Compassion Poems : For A Better World A Handful of Light Lyric-Lute. etc. Poems are translated in most of the Indian languages.
Published research & critical studies :
(1) Living Through Challenges : A Study of Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar's Poetry
(2) Poet Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar : His Mind And Art.
Adviser — 'POETCRIT' (H.P.) & 'VICHAR-DRISHTI' (Delhi-Patna) At present — Reasearch Guide in many Indian Universities.
Contact : 110 BalwantNagar, Gandhi Road, Gwalior — 474 002 (M.P.) INDIA / Phone : 0751-4092908 / E-Mail : drmahendrabh@rediffmail.com
WITH FLAGS OF PEACE
Poet : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
No matter how vigorous
The drum-beat of war may be
We shall hold fast
The banner of peace aloft!
And the suppression of the voice of peace
We shall not allow!
From the dawn of history
We have faith in peace and humanity,
Gautam and Gandhi are dearest to our hearts!
Molesting anyone is sin for us,
We come not in any body's way
Quarrels we do not pick,
World friendship and mutual love
Is our message eternal,
Enough affection have we
For the tormented and destructed world!
Our hands will uplift the down-trodden,
And we shall save
Millions of down-cast mute molested
Fear-stricken injured sisters
From the cruel clutches of the devils!
We love smiles of children innocent;
Alluring are the folk-songs of the shepherds and farmers!
We shall never let these songs of mirth
Turn into painful sighs and groans!
Nor let the smiles be blood-stained!
We pledge we shall never let the lightning
Crash on the innocent dreams of Resurgent Man!
WOMAN REBORN
Poet : Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar
You aren't a purse-purchased commodity of man,
Nor are you the soulless slave girl,
The brainless hand-maid and the lifeless doll.
No longer are you the age-old
Down-trodden footwear of man,
Not a source of pleasure and pastime any more
Frailty is not thy name.
A bed of roses you desire not.
Nor are you caught in the whirl-pool any more
But banks distant you adorn now.
No longer shall injustice crush you,
New power and zeal of the time is with you;
Your hands are now free from chains;
Prison social or personal confines you not,
Nor does man dominate your mind and body
That you submit to his whims
And utter not a complaint even by chance.
On behalf of the youths millions of the world
I speak, not as your lord, but as a friend;
I simply wish to bind you
With bonds silken of eternal love!
(Dr. Bhatnagar’s Phone : 0751-2341955
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