For the past few days I have been immersed in Hindi poems. Pure Hindi, not the Hinglish or Bambaiyya variety which is all we speak now unfortunately, is such a beautiful language.
Image source: http://www.chopra.com/article/shakti-universal-force#sm.0011qf12v12i5djt10323t5dde4ef
Sharing one such poem from my textbooks from my school days, Shakti aur Kshama (शक्ति और क्षमा ) by the famous poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. Below I also attempt a translation of the same.
क्षमा, दया, तप, त्याग, मनोबल
सबका लिया सहारा
पर नर व्याघ सुयोधन तुमसे
कहो कहाँ कब हारा?
Forgiveness, mercy, tact, sacrifice
you followed them all
but when did Suyodhan ever give up?
क्षमाशील हो ॠपु-सक्षम
तुम हुये विनीत जितना ही
दुष्ट कौरवों ने तुमको
कायर समझा उतना ही
The more forgiving you got,
the more the Kauravas assumed that you were a coward
अत्याचार सहन करने का
कुफल यही होता है
पौरुष का आतंक मनुज
कोमल होकर खोता है
This is the result of tolerating injustices
the fear of machismo is lost when man becomes gentle
क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को
जिसके पास गरल है
उसका क्या जो दंतहीन
विषरहित विनीत सरल है
Forgiveness is becoming of the snake who has venom
but no one fears the toothless, non – poisonous kind
तीन दिवस तक पंथ मांगते
रघुपति सिंधु किनारे
बैठे पढते रहे छन्द
अनुनय के प्यारे प्यारे
For three days Ram kept requesting the ocean for passage
he sat there requesting with the sweetest words
उत्तर में जब एक नाद भी
उठा नही सागर से
उठी अधीर धधक पौरुष की
आग राम के शर से
When the ocean refused to acknowledge Ram’s pleas
a raging fire of resolve consumed Ram
सिंधु देह धर त्राहि-त्राहि
करता आ गिरा शरण में
चरण पूज दासता गृहण की
बंधा मूढ़ बन्धन में
The ocean assumed a human form & supplicated to Ram
Touched his feet, became subservient, a slave
सच पूछो तो शर में ही
बसती है दीप्ति विनय की
संधिवचन सम्पूज्य उसीका
जिसमे शक्ति विजय की
Truth be told it’s in the quiver that lies the gleam of modesty
only his peace offers are respected who is capable of victory
सहनशीलता, क्षमा, दया को
तभी पूजता जग है
बल का दर्प चमकता उसके
पीछे जब जगमग है
The world worships tolerance, forgiveness & compassion
only when they are backed by the glow of strength.
Though giving examples from the Ramayan & Mahabharat, this poem is relevant even today. Everyone who preaches peace should understand one basic rule of the world: peace offers from the weak are meaningless (V.D. Sawarkar). If you want to have peace, you need to be strong. The world respects strength & anyone who doesn’t have it will be trod upon & ground mercilessly.