Ek aur duniyan
31 Dec 2001

Juton ke neeche
bilkul neeche
ek duniyaan hoti hai
maili si, bedhangi aur nishapran.

Duniyan-
simati hui, ulajhan bhari nishtran
ek duniyan hoti hai
juton ke neeche.

Dabi hui, jhuki jhuki, bojhil
duniyan
kuchalaati, karaahati, tiraskrit
maarmaahat, pisati duniyan
apmaanit, padadalit
duniyan hoti hai
juton ke neeche.

Dhukhswapnon ki duniyan
lachhari, bimari, bhukhamari ki
duniyan
bilbilaate kidon ki
bhayanak, andheri v kaali
duniyan hoti hai
juton ke neeche.

Ek duniyan-
jinake jeene ka sambal hoti hai
mutthi bhar dhool
sadandh aur seelan bhari
jise
chhorate jate hian ham
vikaas ke badhate harek kadam par
apane peeche
rote bilakhate
juton ke nishan ke saath

Tum Maun kyun ho??
11 March 1999


Dono saath saaath baithe hain, kitane aas pass baithe hain
ek lambaa safar hai-tum maun kyun ho??
tum maun kyun ho??

Khidakiyon se roshani jhankati, bayar manjar ki khushabu bantati
kheton ke siney pe hari chunari bolati hai.
phir, tum maun kyun ho??

Pahadon pe mohini hariyali hai, byom se chhatakati laali hai
patariyon pe bichhhi pashan bolati hai.
phir, tum maun kyun ho??

Basatiyon main battiyan timtimati, jhopadi main niharika gaati
doudati daamini ki dhaar bolati hai.
phir, tum maun kyun ho??

Dhadakan
(11 July 1998)

Dhundhata hun jo apane dil main kabhi
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti

Baharon main unmukt ragini ki tarah
so jata tere god main sar rakhakar
aur tu apane pallu se mere chehare ko
dhakakar pyar se sahalati hoti
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti

Kabhi jo main hota veecharon ki tanamayat main
teesari duniyan main veecharata kahin
mere sapano se bandhi pyar ki zanzeer tum
kheench kar paas apane mujhe bula leti
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti

Ghamon ke sagar main doob jata kabhi main
apane ur se chumati tu mere sholon ko
raat hoti to apane aalok se tu
shahar main nootan sahar barasa jati
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti

Kahin rooth jata jo is jag se main
prarabdh se samajhouta kar tum
meri pahachan ko ashakon se mere
sichakar atulniya bemisaal karati
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti


Dhundhata hun jo apane dil main kabhi
bas ek tamanna hai main hota aur tu hoti

"Bansanti Rain"
(8 feb 1999)

Vo basanti chhah ka badal, ansulajhe dhagon ki tarah
chala tha andekhe kanaron se, vo basanti chaah ka baadal

Hawaon ke paar se jhurmuton main gaati, panchiyon ke karalab se baichen hai
Dikha hai jo use sabjbaag sa, madhumati ragini ki rain hai
Chuup gaya hai kyun ot lekar chand, ghunghat main dulahan ki tarah,
Vo bansanti chhah ka badal, ansulajhe dhagon ki tarah

Jharano ke saath soya, adhakhili saraso ki deh par
chanvar jo dhula khuli palaken anchal ke sandesh par
chihunk utha man main madhuras, pranay geet ki tarah
Vo bansanti chhah ka badal, ansulajhe dhagon ki tarah

Meri Kavita
(18 April 1998)

Meri Jhankaar, meri hunkaar, mere kan kan men mauzood
Kavita-mere ateet ki, mere vartamaan ki
Mere sunahare bhavishya ki Kavita
Meri vedana, meri tatasthataa aur manosthiti ki Kavita
Mere Kaaran, mere prabhaav aur mere vichaar ki kavita
Meri sarvabhaumikataa aur meri upasthiti ki Kavita

Thak chuka hun, abhishapt bhi hun, akela hun jeevan path par
yaden bhi hain par bichhud rahi, anzaana hun samay rath per
main hun aur hai mere mansik avasaadon ki kavita
mere shikavon ki ranjison ki, mere shikayaton ki kavita

Akela hun aur sath hai meri tanhaiyon ka vishal samandar
aur hai vartamaan bhi isaka ekmatra sabut banakar
mera sunepan aur kavita mere bhavatamak khamiyon ki
kisi sathi ki abhilasha aur sangini ki kavita

Hai ek biyavaan jungle, sunsaan stabdh arunima chhipi hui
vicharon ka sailab manash patal par armanon ko jalane vali
kavita mere abhisht ki, kavita mere vicharon ki
mere armanon ki kavita aur aur meri kalapanaon ki kavita

kinkartabyavimudhata hai path chunane main, pair na aage na poeeche jane ko taiyaar
saya bhi bevafa hai akela hun shant aur nirvichaar
kavita mere kalapanateet umangon ki, meri ashaon ki
mere surate haal ki, meri zindagi ki kavita|

Rasagandharva
(cud not think of a better name)

Mere hridaya ke sangeet prakost main
palako ke aalokit aangan main
tum amit shashi roop ho
pranaya pallavit prangan main.

Suvasit sudharma sukomal bhavna
sahaj saswati snehanil saumya
prem nidhi ki abhilekhit
aditi tum mere man main
tum amit shashi roop ho
pranaya pallavit prangan main.

Chandan surbhit, parijaat kaya
abhinav saundarya, mani roop aabha
jalad tere aankhon main anjan
tum antah ur aalingan main
tum amit shashi roop ho
pranaya pallavit prangan main.

For an anonymous critic of mine

I had decided I would not write anthing other than my own poems in this blog. But an honest (or eccentric whatever) comment on my last poem by one of my friend who chose to remain annonymous compelled me to compose this post.

I always believed that a poet's strength lies in two things-one in his authority over words and second honesty of his ctitics. Words never betrayed me. They always made opportune appearance and delighted me. But I was always unfortunate with my critics for all the critics I got never commented honestly. All of my poem supposedly won the heart of my critics. They always found my poem right, they always found my words appropriate, they never could find more apt feeling than what my poem depicted. That always confused me. Then only I learnt the realily. And the reality was the praise, the appreciation, the blind acceptance was not for me, but for the most sacred thing of world what I used to write about in my poem. 'Love'. Definitely it was love.

For a writer a difficult time is when he himself questions his creativity. I strived to false my own hyposthesis about my critics. I quit writing poems of ideal love and wrote on more real and conspicuous events. Words of Dreams were replaced by cruel reality of life. And unfortunately my poems lost the attraction of my friends who were eager to hear them before. Though I was not happy with the outcome, at least it proved my hypothesis.

It is love indead which is most talked and appreciated everywhere. In whatever form one conceives.

And for the first time, I got a 'Bohemian' criticism for a poem which was entirely dedicated to popular choice. Wow I wish it had come a little earlier. But anyway, my dear friend I can give you more than a thousand reason why I wrote that poem. But I dont intend that.

I take it that you are not a quasi-american. Then you must have some idea of history of Indian literature. In case u are temporarily suffering from amnesia, let me brush up your memory. Almost 90% of Hindi, 100% of Sanskrit, almost 100% of Urdu, nearly 100% Mathily poems and almost 90% poems in other indian language were written with a central subject of 'LOVE' and a related topic. You may conclude two things-one this is the most adorable subject ( as I stated before) or second this is the easiest and most natural to write about. whatever u conclude is imaterials.

The point is - "Hamako Maloom hai zannat ki hakeekat lekin, Dil ke behlane ko Ghalib ye khayal achha hai." When u got to win a writing competition, you got to write Love.

Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka Jo Pade So Pandit Hoye

Pathik prem hai, prem raah hai
pran prem ki abhilaashaa
prem manohar, prem sudhaakar
prem madhur jeevan ki bhaashaa.

Nidhi bhor ki prem manuz
prem saandya ki kusum bela
divas priya hai prem prahar
nisha-shab prem ka melaa.

Prem se deepak, prem se ujjawal
prem akhil samsar satv
prem jad aur chetan prem
prem satv, samsaar satv.

Prem agni hai prem joti hai
prem prem ki amit ashaa
prem prem ki khoj hai
prem akhil satya mimanshaa.

Rajya prem hai, Raaj hai prem
putra prem aur prem pitaa
prem avinashi, prem anushashi
prem atichetan, prem geeta.

Prem utsav hai, prem gnan hai
geet prem mahapraan hai
prem tapasya prem prarthana
prem ko koti pranaaam hai.

Prem madhur veena ki saragam
prem surili baanson main
charvaahon ke geeton main prem
vo paijainyan ki taanon main.

Prem nirgun hai, prem sagun hai
prem chir shanti ka aagaman
milan prem hai virah prem hai
prem prem ka nitanugaman.

Prem nar hai, Naraayan hai
prem antah ur ka aandolan
prem aatm chintan ka udbhav
prem sthavar, prem gaman.

Prem Kabir, prem Nanak
Budh prem aur Krishna hai
prem nav vihaag ki sarita
prem akshunn aur naveen hai.

Prem maheshvar, prem akhileshwar
prem haripad mahaan hai
prem deevakar, prem nishaakar
prem brahm samaan hai.

Prem manu ka Manusangrah
Prem Kautilya arthashashtra
prem ganit hai, perm tantra
prem sampurna nakshatrashashtra.

Prem Ramayan ki chaupayi
Prem Kuran ki aayaten
prem prabhu Ishu ki boli
prem kudrat ki nemten.

Prem Geeta ka mahabhed
Upnishad ka prem saar
Prem darshan ki shiksha
Vignaan prem ka chir adhikaar.

Prem ganesh aur prem anta
prem chatushvedon ki teeka
prem bhashya aur prem shankhya
prem param brahma sarikha.

Panditya pothi ka jnan nahi
panditya prem ka sakshaatkaar
panditya hridaya ka prem hai
prem samaadhi ka pratyahaar.

pothi padi padi jag muaa
huaa na pandit koy
dhai aakhar prem ka
jo pade so pandit hoye.

(6th Oct 2002)

This is the only poem I like that I wrote after coming to IIT. I like this poem because while writing it I could effortlessly pick the right words, I could feel the harmony flowing right through my heart. I like it because after I was done I could sense the soothing smile of the lines. I like this poem, because I wrote it with all my heart. And offcourse I like it because it won me first GOLD in open IIT Creative Writing. I always wondered about the definition of Love and after I wrote it I found that the only suitable definition of love is that Love is undefined.

Kholkar rakhane se darvaaze aur khidakiyaan
keval dhoop hi nahi aati
gharon main chamachamaakar
balki
aati hain saath usake
gandi aur bekaar dhool bhi
hum, gharon ke par band nahi rakhate
darvaaze aur khidakiyaan
jite hain balki dhoop ko
aur
aur dhool buhaar baahar karte hain

Main deepak ban jal jaata

Naynon ki teri jyot kabhi aankon ka kaajal ban jaata
teri kisi syaah andheri main dhime re dhime re main jal jaata
Main deepak ban jal jaata

Jeevan main tere sapano sa main hota tere apno sa
Kabhi yun hota ki sang tere door door tak chal pata
Main deepak ban jal pata

Nit sang tere meri saanjh dhale sang sang tere meri chaahn chale
Tere geeton ki swar ganga main apnaa nit nit main sahar pata
Main deepak ban jal paata

Tumhaari Tasveer

Fat gayaa aaz meraa puraanaa pars
aur nikal padi chupchaap
tumahi vo 'Tasveer'
jise churaayaa thaa maine tumhaare
palachinh se
jise rakhati thi hamesha sambhaal kar tum apne paas
vo tasveer
jise churakar rakhaa thaa maine
apne pars ke kaale chhote jeb main

Aur
bhul gayaa
bilkul vaise
jaise bhulta hun main
apne laachaar aur bimaar baap ko
har mahine bhejkar thode se paise apne desh
bhul gaya
jaise bhulta hun main
uski majaburi ko, bechargi ko
jaise
raah bhulti anjaane musaafir
jaise
raat bhulti ajnabi din ko
raahi bhulta apne juton se kuchalakar mutthi bhar dhul
main bhul gaya tumhaari tasveer ko
rakhaa tha jise maine
pars ke kaale chhhote jeb main
bhul gaya main
tumhari seelan bhari jindagi
bhul gaya main
tumhari kasamasaati aah
bhul gaya kaise jiti hogi tum
har baaar mere bojh ko
bhul gaya main
tumhari tadap tumhaari tapish
rakhakar tumhari tasveer
pars ke kaale chhote jeb main

Fat padaa hai vohi mera puranaa pars
aur nikal padi hai chupchaap
tumhari vo tasveer
jis per pade hain
kaale kaale dhabbe
shayad pars ke
ya
shayad mere antas ke
jise
pada hai tumne kai baar
kai baar
har baar

URDHVAGAAMI

Ulat kar, apne aap ko
latakane se
budhi nahi aa jaati-pairon main

Ulat kar
paayaa jaa sakataa hai
bas
sthirtaa, gatishunyataa, shithilataa
paayaa jaa sakataa hai bas
ek viraam chinh
ek purna viraam

Gatipriyataaa, ultaa nahi karti
udanaa ho to,
pahunchanaa ho jo, manjil
hona ho jo, urdhvagaami

to dekho
chamagaadag bhi sidhaa hi udata aakaash main
bilkul sidhaa
haan
sar uper aur pair neeche
sar ke neeche

Kalam bhar syahi

Pannon par
Likhakar tumhaari hamaari kahaani
Banaakar
Kaagajon kaa khubsurat pulindaa
chheent diyaa kisi ne uspar
Kalam bhar syaahi
aur
mita diyaa uspar ukere
mote pyaare akshar
chhupakar ek ankahi pyari si kahaani
Tumhaari aur hamaari
Dho diye sapano ke saare nishaan
vaise hi jaise akasar
khuni chhiton se dhulata khuni daaaman
andheron se chupata andhera
kafan se chhupti maut
chup gayi vaise hi
syahi ki kahani Tumahari aur humaari
'kalam bhar syahi' se
ki
main ab pud nahi pata unmen chhapi panktiyaan
ki
main ab dhundh nahin paataa usmen tumhara naam
ki
kahin ek jhalak nahi dikh pata usmen tumhara chehra
Phir bhi sajo kar rakha hai maine
is daaag ko
sahej kar salike se
bade tarike se rakhaa hai maine
Tumhari humari yeh kitaab
ki
shayad kabhi huvayen vaqt ki
asar kar jayen
aur
mita jaye anchaahi bekaar
syahi ki parat
us 'kalam bhar syahi' ki
aur ubhar aaaye tumhara naam
us tumhari humari kahani ki kitaab main
jis par likh kar
chhint di kisi ne
kalam bhar syahi