1

Megher koler arale chalechhe
Shashanka ati dhire,
Kul kul swane bahitechhe srot
Nimne tatini nire.

Adhek jochhana adhek andhare
Shilpi manas hara
Apurba rup karechhe dharan
Amader ei dhara.

Ashrita jata bitapi nichay
Rishi ashram majhe,
Shobhita dekhiya phal phul sathe
Nandan ban laje.

Nijer ruper doinya nehari
Mastak kare nichu
Bidhatar kache abhijog kari
Balite parena kichhu.

Sedin shubhra pulak nishai
Shudhalen rishi ese
Dekhe nirajane swiya patnire
Prashanta bhase hese.

“Ektu laban Bishwamitra
Rishi hate jeche ano
Kato bhalobasi sei priyatame
Taki tumi nahi jano?”

Shune e adesh bishmita haye
Shudhalen debi dhire
“Bhikarini bese jabo tar dare
Anata kariya shire?

Je rishi kareche banchita more
Shatek putra hate
Nije mata haye se shaker chhaya
Bhule jabo kanmate?”

Sushupta smriti jagiya uthilo
Shuni Bashishtha bani
Ashru purna hoiya uthilo
Snigdha badan khani.

“Santan shata ajike e hena
Kaumudi snata rate
Pabitra mane bed gan kare
Beraita ek sathe.

Mor bedagya brahma nishtha
Shatek tanaye dhare
Pathaye diyeche jei nishthur
Hese Jamaraj kare.

Tar dare mor laban bhikka
Balo e adesh kena?
Ki karane prabhu ei byathi prane
Nithur agya hena?“

Jyotite puma hoiya uthilo
Rishir anan khani
Parabar sama hriday haite
Shudhu e koiti bani.

Nisrita halo, “Rajarshi jeno
Priya mor chirakal.”
“Tai jadi hoi ekti kathai
Mite jeto janjhal.

More o shatek santan hate
Banchita hate ar
Hotana kakhano ohe priyatama
Karunar parabar!”

Apurba rup karilo dharan
Rishir adhar khani
Bhalobasi bale balinai taha
Balen se mahagyani.

“Brahma rishi je paribe je hate
Asha mor ajo ache,
Jibaner majhe barek bani
Shunite amar kache.

Ek mane base dibase nishite
Ache se je dhyane rata
Ogo priyatama janona je taha
Keman kathor brata.”

Pagaler sama khubdha hoiya
Bishwamitra aj
Chariyache sab apanar jato
Tapascharjya kaj.

Bashishtheri pran nashibare
Tarabari niye hate
Asthir bhabe Bishwamitra
Bahir halen rate.

Kutirer pashe daraye khanek
Shuni Bashishtha bani
Lajjai rishi atidrutagati
Swiya mastak khani.

Anata karen mahan rishir
Jugal dharan tale
Sahaj saral bhakter sama
Kathati nahika bale.

Bashishtha Deb apanar hate
Loiya tahake tule
Brahmarshi bale shudhalen tar
Purber smriti bhule.

Khamar jogya nahi bale rishi
Muchiya ashrudhar
Udar rishir charan kamale
Pranamila barbar.

“Sukh dukh ar man apaman
Bhuliya karecho labh
Ohe rajarshi aji shubha rate
Brahma rishir bhab.”

Bashishtha mukhe ei bani shune
Deba banchita shikkha
Karilo jachna sei rishi raj
Brahma gyaner dikkha.

“Ananta Deb diben tomai
Sei amulya dhan
Shikkha dikkha shakti sahas
Jaha kichu prayojan.”

Upanita haye Ananta kache
Kahilen rishi raj
“Kripa kare prabhu dikkha amai
Pradan karun aj.“

“Ogo maharshi dikkha tomai
Pradan karite pari,
Paro jadi tumi rakhite e dhara
Jabe dibo ami chari.”

Abhimani rishi Ananta Debe
Kahilen smita hese
“Kichu bhoi nai dharite paribo
Rakhun e shir deshe.”

Ananta Deb chere dilo jabe
Kahilen rishi twara
“Mor tapa bale nimesher maje
Drita hok ei dhara.”

Kono mate mahi nahi halo sthir
Shunye ghuriya pare
Teman shakti chilona tahar
Bishwe rakhite dhare.

“Sadhu sajjan jogi muni rishi
Punya baner kache
Giyecho ki tumi kono din rishi
Ei jibaner majhe?”

“Sei saubhagya hoi nai kabhu
Tabe ajo mane ache
Shudhu kichu kal chhilam sedin
Bashishtha Deb kache.”

“He rishi prachin se punya phal
Karogo pradan twara
Ta na hale jeno shanta kakhano
Habena basundhara.”

“Sadhu sanger phalti ebar
Karchi pradan prabhu
Ki karite ar pari ami balo
Shanto na hale tabu?”

Dhire ati dhire shanta haile
Mahir chalar gati
Sei abhilash puma karite
Ananta Deb prati.

Puna phire ese jachna karilo
Nirbodh rishi raj
Birakta haye Ananta bale,
“Nai ki tomar laj?”

“Ei sthan hate he abodh rishi
Ekhani chaliya jao
Bashishtha rishi guru deb tabo
Sharan tahan nao.

Jar sathe mishe abanir bhar
Bahite perecho tumi
Dikkha ekhan jachna karoge
Tahar charan chumi.”

Krodhe khobhe dukhe phire ese purna
Bashishtha Deb kache
Brahma gyaner anata badane
Sei rajarshi jache.

“Aspriha mor purna karite
Pratobindane prabhu
Tapascharjya kariyachi jeno
E chalana kena tabu.”

“Ogo priyatama jasher garima
Man ar apaman
Bhulegecho tumi tai toma aj
Ditechi brahma gyan.

Age jadi pete kakano tomar
Haito na pratyoy
Ekhan ditechi sei mahagyan
Nai ar kono bhoy.”

Sanga phalei pritthi dharan
Jaha aj upakatha
Ek kale chhilo moder deshe
Teman bichitrata.

Jogi muni rishi sadhu sajjan
Eman khamar phal
Jar bale chilo moder bharat
Pabitra ujjwal.

Debalok hate asiteche purna
Teman mahan rishi
Jader prabhabe se rishir prabha
Dhulai jaibe mishi.

2. “The Ideal of Forgiveness“ - English translation

Slowly the queen of astral virgins moves
Across the giant embrace of teeming clouds.
Below, the runnel meanders murmuring high.
The panorama of the moonlit gloom
Captures the hearts of the lovers of beauty’s core.
Our earth’s splendour and delight now grow sublime.
The trance that guides Vasishtha’s fire-pure hut
Is far beyond all mortals’ straining view.
No equal his trees and buds and flowers have.
The flood of their torrent magnificence compels
Eden to bow to them with all its lustre.
A dart of sombre pangs tortures its heart.
It cries aloud, “O Lord! Behold my balk.
My pride is broken, I am now a piteous thing.”

Quintessence of deep peace in his sage eyes,
With a dawning smile Vasishtha in silence commands,
“Arundhati! Some salt from the mighty sage
Vishwamitra I desire, therefore, speed forth.”
“Thy words break all my body, I see my doom.
Sorrows of the whole world within me rage.
Alas! No soul to soothe my woeful heart.
It was Vishwamitra, the cruel king,
Who slaughtered my hundred sons of endless knowing.
My children’s spirit-stirring hymnal song
I hear no longer; alack! My heart no more
Feels now their calm and joy of the Spirit’s gaze.
Thou art, my Lord, the root of my bosom’s pangs.
For thee have passed beyond the eternal bars
Those hero-fires sprung out of my flesh.

Why stayed thy voice back from the saving words
‘Vishwamitra, truly the greatest sage’?”
Through the deep of night Vasishtha unveiled the truth.
“My love for him is boundless, Arundhati.
Infinite sparks of bounty within me burn.
The knowledge supreme he has still to con: O then
How can I falsely title him Brahman-rapt?
To be the seer divine his bosom craves.
Unique his high aspiration’s fiery wings.”

Flushed quivering with tempest-ire had come
Vishwamitra, unbeheld, to the sage’s cote.
“The time is ripe, I must slay him, if he still
Pronounce me not the God-omniscient sage.”
Suddenly a vision revealing flashed through his mind
As he heard the matchless seer’s bounteous words.
Down he fell and kissed the Master’s hallowed feet.
“Arise, O king of all the seers, arise.”
“Alas! My sire, shame not this mortal self.
The titan eyes of my naked cruelties
Deserve not, I know well, thy pardon divine.”

From vastness-stilled summit Vasishtha spoke,
“What urgent need impels thy advent rare?”
The doleful voice of Vishwamitra broke,
“My heart now flames to own Brahman, the One.
My bosom’s Lord, fulfil my white desire.“
“Speed thou to Ananta—the eternal Snake,
The endless upbearer of this created sphere.
Doubt not my love shall ever harbour thy soul.”
“O Lord Ananta! Thy grace sublime I invoke.
Reveal the sunlit path to know the One.“”
“Vishwamitra, that stupendous power I have.

But ere I fulfil thy choice, thy strength divine
I needs must weigh. Become thou now all ears.
Seest thou the earth’s globe?—that whole vast is mine!
If thy strength is sure to hold its mighty weight
To thee I shall give the knowledge of the Sole.”
The proud sage-king replied, “Upon my head
Leave all: I shall bear the earth’s gigantic load.”
Lo! He was sunk in disaster’s greatest gulf.
Alas! Too fast the globe moved round his sense,
The ceaseless terror tortured his living veins.
No volcano-will could calm the universe,
A tenebrous void before his mere man’s form.
But Ananta smiled and spoke: “Thou hast known at last
The measure of thy might. Hear me, O sage!
Use for thy strength the fruits of the company
Of sacred souls if any such thou knewest.
Call to thy aid at once the memory
Of their high mood. Away from thee shall pass
Danger.“ In a twinkling Vasishtha’s giant name
Broke on his mind. Ananta’s high command
He carried out. All silent was the earth.
Tranquillity was in flood within its heart.
“O Lord Ananta! Now fulfil my quest.“
“O reckless fool! Vasishtha’s bounty implore.
None on this earth but he can meet thy hunger.
The enormous power of his diamond presence
Saved thee from perilous juncture and strengthened thy heart
To bear the colossal earth, O unseeing soul!
Go pray his haven, the time is fleeting fast.”


He came again to high Vasishtha’s hut.
How base his doom no soul on earth can dream.
“O Master, I beg of thee, by thy feet august,
Drive me not from thy door this time, I pray.”
“Thy eagle-high aspiration clasps the Crown.
Vishwamitra, to thee I give victory.
Envy and pride could veil thy mind, and so
The knowledge supreme I gave thee not before.
Thy humble mind and brave heart win it now.”

What is chimera’s mist or miracle today
Was the immaculate truth divine of yore.
Immeasurable by our human thought
Was regal Vasishtha’s presence and bright power.
But from Above yet greater souls unmatched
Over our Ind imperishably shall lean.
The might of seers antique shall fade away
Before the souls to come with Light new-born;
And she shall sit on splendour’s throne in the world.

Notes