mahaan naayak – a poem by Badrinarayan

yah ek ajeeb subah thee
jo likhana chaahoon, likh nahin pa raha tha
jo sochana chaahoon, soch nahin pa raha tha
soojh nahin rahe the mujhe shabd
kaama, halant sab gairahaazir the .

mainne khol die smrtiyon ke saare dvaar
apane bheetar ke saare nayan khol die
das dvaar, chaudah bhuvan, chauraasee lok
ghoom aaya
dharatee gagan milaaya

phir bhee ek bhee shabd mujhe nahin dikha
kya khata ho gaee thee, kuchh samajh mein nahin aa raha tha

dheere-dheere jab main is shaak se ubara
aur ruk kar sochane laga
to samajh mein aaya

ki yah shabdon ka ek mahaan vidroh tha
mere khilaaf

ek mahaan golabandee
ek chetash pratikaar

kaaran yah tha ki
main jab bhee shabdon ko jodata tha
vaaky banaata tha
main unaka apane lie hee upayog karata tha

apane baare mein likhata rahata tha
apana karata rahata tha gunagaan

apana sukh gaata tha
apana dukh gaata tha

apane ko hee karata tha gauravaanvit
ajab aatmakendrit, aatmarati mein lipt tha main

shabd jaanate the ki yah vrtti
ya to mujhe taanaashaah banaegee
ya kar degee paagal bekaar
aur shabd meree ye donon hee gati nahin chaahate the

shabd vaise hee mahasoos kar rahe the ki
mere bheetar na pratirodh rah gaya hai

na pyaar
na paagal preranaen

at: shabdon ne ek mahaan naayak ke netrtv mein
mere khilaaf vidroh kar diya tha .