yauvan ke teer par pratham tha aaya jab
shrot saundary ka,
veechiyon mein kalarav sukh chumbit pranay ka
tha madhur aakarshanamay,
majjanaavedan mrdu phootata saagar mein.
vaahinee sansrti kee
aatee agyaat door charan-chinh-rahit
smrti-rekhaen paarakar,
preeti kee plaavan-patu,
kshan mein baha liya—
saathee main ho gaya akool ka,
bhool gaya nij seema,
kshan mein agyaanata ko saump diye mainne praan
bina arth,–praarthana ke.
taapahar hrday veg
lagn ek hee smrti mein;
kitana apanaav?—
premabhaav bina bhaasha ka,
taan-taral kampan vah bina shabd-arth kee.
us samay hrday mein
jo kuchh vah aata tha,
hrday se chupachaap
praarthana ke shabdon mein
parichay bina bhee yadi
koee kuchh kahata tha,
apanaata main use.
chir-kaalik kaalima—
jadata jeevan kee chir-sanchit thee door huee.
svachchh ek darpan—
pratibimbon kee grahan-shakti sampoorn liye hue;
dekhata main prakrti chitr,–
apanee hee bhaavana kee chhaayaen chir-poshit.
pratham jeevan mein
jeevan hee mila mujhe, chaaron or.
aatee sameer
jaise sparsh kar ang ek agyaat kisee ka,
surabhi sumand mein ho jaise angaraag-gandh,
kusumon mein chitavan ateet kee smrti-rekha—
parichit chir-kaal kee,
door chir-kaal se;
vismrti se jaise khul aaee ho koee smrti
aise hee prakrti yah
harit nij chhaaya mein
kahatee antar kee katha
rah jaatee hrday mein.
beete anek din
bahate priy-vaksh par aise hee nirupaay
bahu-bhaav-bhangon kee yauvan-tarangon mein.
niruddesh mere praan
dooratak phaile us vipul agyaan mein
khojate the praanon ko,
jad mein jyon veet-raag chetan ko khojate.
ant mein
meree dhruvataara tum
prasarit digant se
ant mein laee mujhe
seema mein deekhee aseemata—
ek sthir jyoti mein
apanee abaadhata—
parichay nij path ka sthir.
vaksh par dhara ke jab
timir ka bhaar guru
peedit karata hai praan,
aate shashaank tab hrday par aap hee,
chumban-madhu jyoti ka, andhakaar har leta.
chhaaya ke sparsh se
kalpit sukh mera bhee praanon se rahit tha,–
kalpana hee ek
door saty ke aalok se,–
nirjan-priyata mein tha maun-du:kh saathee bina.
pratima saundary kee
hrday ke manch par
aaee na thee tab bhee,
patr-pushp-ardhy hee
sanchit tha ho raha
aagam-prateeksha mein,–
svaagat kee vandana hee
seekhee thee hrday ne.
utsukata vedana,
bheeti, maun, praarthana
nayanon kee nayanon se,
sinchan suhaag—prem,
drdhata chibuk kee,
adharon kee vihvalata,
bhroo-kutilata, saral haas,
vedana kanth mein,
mrduta hrday mein,
kaathiny vakshasthal mein,
haathon mein nipunata,
shaithily charanon mein,
deekhee nahin tab tak
ek hee moorti mein
tanmay aseemata.
srshti ka madhyakaal mere liye.
trshna kee jaagrti ka
moort raag nayanon mein.
hutaashan vishv ke shabd-ras-roop-gandh
deepak-patang-se andh the aa rahe
ek aakarshan mein
aur yah prem tha!
trshna hee thee sajag
mere pratirom mein.
rasana ras-naam-rahit
kintu ras-graahika!
bhog—vah bhog tha,
shabdon kee aad mein
shabd-bhed praanon ka—
ghor tam sandhya kee svarn-kiran-deepti mein!
shat-shat ve bandhan hee
nandan-svaroop-se aa
sammukh khade the!–
smitanayan, chanchal, chayanasheel,
ati-apanaav-mrdu bhaav khole hue!
man ka jadatv tha,
durbal vah dhaarana chetan kee
moorchchhit lipatatee thee jadee se baarambaar.
sab kuchh to tha asaar
astu, vah pyaar?—
sab chetan jo dekhata,
sparsh mein anubhav—romaanch,
harsh roop mein—parichay,
vinod; sukh gandh mein,
ras mein majjanaanand,
shabdon mein alankaar,
kheencha useene tha hrday yah,
jadon mein chetan-gati karshan milata kahaan?
paaya aadhaar
bhaar-guruta mitaane ko,
tha jo tarangon mein bahata hua,
kalpana mein niravalamb,
paryatak ek atavee ka agyaat,
paaya kiran-prabhaat—
path ujjaval, saharsh gati.
kendr ko aa mile
ek hee tatv ke,
srshti ke kaaran ve,
kavita ke kaam-beej.
kaun phir phir jaata?
bandha hua paash mein hee
sochata jo sukh-mukti kalpana ke maarg se,
sthit bhee jo chalata hai,
paar karata giri-shrrng, saagar-tarang,
agam gahan alandhy path,
laavanyamay sajal,
khola sahrday sneh.
aaj vah yaad hai vasant,
jab pratham digantashree
surabhi dhara ke aakaankshit hrday kee,
daan pratham hrday ko
tha grahan kiya hrday ne;
agyaat bhaavana,
sukh chir-milan ka,
hal kiya prashn jab sahaj ekatv ka
praathamik prakrti ne,
usee din kalpana ne
paee sajeevata.
pratham kanakarekha praachee ke bhaal par—
pratham shrrngaar smit tarunee vadhoo ka,
neel gaganavistaar kesh,
kiranojjaval nayan nat,
heratee prthvee ko.