kaalidaas – a poem by Doodhnath Singh

maun ke viraat ashvatth se jo mujhe le gae
vaak‍ aur arth ke samuchchay-bodh tak
ve mere gurujan nahin the. ve dishaahaara the.
apane hee tarkon ke galit vaagjaal se paraajit
ud‌bhraant.

usake pahale unhonne kabhee bhee chunautiyaan nahin sveekaaree theen
usake pahale kabhee bhee unhonne nirmam kintu
aatm-parishodhak paraajay ka munh nahin dekha tha.
isake pahale kabhee bhee unhonne itihaas kee nihaee par
sir nahin rakha tha.
ve keval aapt-vachan uddhrt kar garv se
nireeh janat ko phaadate hue
pratishtha ke bil mein ghus jaaya karate the.
unhonne paraspar sahamati kee chikanee baisaakhiyaan laga rakhee theen
ve santushti ke andhere mein param nishchintata se
ulte latake hue soe-soe sad rahe the.
unhen sirf apach tha – unhen sirf baar-baar
rah-rah ultiyaan-see aatee theen
jinhen bholee janata mein
shaastr-vivechan ka naam diya jaata tha.
apane asvaasthy asanshay aur kaayar aham‌ kee
bheed mein surakshit the ve.

ve safedaposh, ve gauraang, ve tathaakathit aheensak, nakalee
vidvata ke taamrapatradhaaree ve – asal mein
saty ke naqaabaposh, kunthit hatyaare the.
kaavy aur shaastr ka samaagam unake lie mahaj
ayyaashee thee.
kaheen koee munhaamuheen nahin thee
unakee jarjar ayyaashee ko aar-paar cheer dene vaalee
vah vaak‍ kee kataar – lapalapaatee
isake pahale kaheen nahin thee.

sadiyon ke baad unhen achaanak vah
vaak‍ kee kataar lapalapaatee dikh gaee thee
jisane unakee shadyantr kee pitaaree ko
jhatake se khol diya tha
jisane unake mulamma chadhe svarnim sinhaasan ko
yahaan-vahaan kharonch diya tha
jisane unhen apadasth kar baarish mein bheegee huee
chikanee aur kaalee mittee mein ghutanon tak utaar diya tha
jo unakee santushti ke andhere mein ek gahare
raktavarn ghaav kee tarah aakar baith gaee thee
jo unakee pratishtha ke dil mein garm-garm
taral sheeshe-see galagal kar bhar gaee thee
jisane unakee suraksha kee deevaar me baahar kee hava ke lie
ek chhota-sa, jalata hua chhed kar diya tha.
jisane unake shabd-upadansh mein halka-sa nashtar laga diya tha
jisane unakee chamadee ke neeche bahate,
gande paranaalon ko kholakar
jan-saadhaaran ko naak band karane aur
stabdh rah jaane par vivash kar diya tha.

maun ke viraat ashvatth se jo mujhe le gae
vaak‌ aur arth ke samuchchay-bodh tak
ve mere gurujan nahin the
ve dishaahaara the.
andar se toote, dayaneey. apane hee jarjar
ayyaash, vaagjaal se paraajit- vikshubdh.
disha-disha, nagar-nagar, gaanv-gaanv
jangal-jangal bhatakate hue pareshaan.
badale kee dhundhuaatee aag mein dhunaate hue
nange. viroop. vikshipt. bhayaakraant.

badale kee dhundhuaatee aag mein dhunaate hue
unhen koee mahaamoorkh chaahie tha.
unhen koee kaala-kaloota, bhades ek
mittee ka maadho chaahie tha.
machhaliya pakadata hua kaaloo mallaah
ya gaen charaata hua buddhoo gopaal
hal chalaata hua gabadoo halavaaha
ya lakadiyaan kaatata hua bholoo lakadahaara–
jo sahaj hee unakee chakaachaundh se chakit rah jae
apane bholepan ko, mittee mein sanvaraee apanee
sajjanata ko jo shraddhaagad‍gad‍ ho arpit kar de,
jo unake die hue krtrim goongepan ko
mahaz ek bholee-see laalach mein odh le
aur use maun ka vishaal ashvatth ghoshit kar
vaak‍ kee kataar ko saabut hee leel jae.
jo unake morcha-lage taamrapatron kee raksha mein yog de
jo unakee tootee baisaakhiyaan phir jod de
jo unakee chhipee huee kaayar barbarata ko bal de
jo bina jaane hee sinhaasan-raksha mein unaka sahayogee ho
jo apane nipat bholepan mein ’sach’ kee donon aankhen phod de
aur unheen kee tarah ’braahman’ kahalaane ka jhootha
adhikaar praapt kare.

maun ke viraat ashvatth kee us oonchee daal par baitha tha
vah mera krshnakaay, gahara, prashaant aur andhiyaara maun.
vah oonchee daal sadiyon se banjha ho chukee thee
maun ke viraat ashvatth mein vah banjha daal chupachaap
hara-hara zahar ban andar ko reng rahee thee
vah banjha daal mere us krshnakaay, gahare andhiyaare maun mein
apana vah krtrim goongaapan chupachaap ghol rahee thee
vah banjha daal apane us krtrim goongepan se
vaanee ke anahone sach ko lagaataar-lagaataar
apamaanit kar, ek ghutan bharee,
badaboodaar pothee mein band kara rahee thee
vah banjha daal– chaaron or, anavarat, aseem
antahsthiti pail rahee thee–andar-andar
janata ke man mein, nirnay ke kshanon mein, shaasan-tantr mein
bachchon kee aankhon mein, yoddha ke paurush mein
kavi ke aseem kaavy-maun mein.

vah unakee samajh mein nahin aaya–
maun ke viraat ashvatth kee us oonchee daal par
krshnakaay, gahare, prashaant us andhiyaare maun ka baithana
vah unakee samajh mein nahin aaya.
shabdaheen khat-khat se, shabdaheen, ekaakee
drdh nirantarata se aankh moond
shabdaheen hava mein chamachamaatee
maun kee kulhaadee se
us goonge maun ko chhinn-bhinn karana–
vah unakee samajh mein nahin aaya

mera usee daal par baithakar usee ko lagaataar kaatana
andar aur baahar ke krtrim goongepan ko ek saath
kaatakar alag kar dena–vah unakee samajh mein nahin aaya
us banjha daal ke saath hee mera vah tootakar
dharatee kee amar yuva khushboo mein girana
aur nasht ho jaana
nishchay hee vah unakee samajh mein nahin aaya
itihaas ka vah nanga pataakshep.

maun ke viraat ashvatth the jo
mujhe le gae– vaak‌ aur arth
ke samuchchay-bodh tak– ve
mere guroojan nahin the.
apane hee jarjar, ayyaash vaagjaal se paraajit
stambhit. madaandh.
nange. viroop. vikshipt. bhayaakraant.
ve dishaahaara the.

kaalidaas