Jyotirgamaya

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

The ancient wisdom always emphasized light, purity and soul values for human beings. In all cultures this wisdom is adored and human activities are geared to that end. But what is that light and why light? The day begins with light and gets sucked into darkness. Birth of man is for a long journey towards death. Any joyous beginning ends up in tears. Civilizations after glorious decades or centuries collapse into decimation. The fullmoon terminates in decline, the sun is swallowed by night. Then what is the journey to light which never fades? And does man bask in that light or burn in the heat which light generates? These questions are legitimate in the assured context of perpetuity which the ancients promised. But is there any sustaining truth in the promise beyond symbolism?

Darkness and light are the eternal binaries which have been used by sages, philosophers and poets. The common man too uses  these as metaphors. But when we think of life's journey, symbols don't matter. The sages who preached and practised these binaries in their different shades have advocated  abstinence, renunciation, charity, compassion and love for  attaining the illuminated path. But if death is the finality what relevance have these enlightened  virtues in the context of a single life? If I deny myself all pleasures, material comforts and finally die what is that enlightenment for?  How do I utilize my enlightenment ? The anagnorisis which comes to a man of heroic temper does not give him any scope to undo what wrongs he had done nor does it  permit him to improve the quality of life around for he takes his enlightenment to the grave. The other aphorism- live as you wish for you  live only once- is also tempting. But how can a person create his personal , private world without treading on the corns in others' feet? That is when I project my wishes on the world the others  projecting their own wishes come in the way. Ambition, aspiration, wishes and desires are never ends in themselves. Desires clash, wishes strike walls, ambitions come to conflict with others' ambitions. How can man live a life  without contacting, conflicting with other human beings who have the same or similar desires? If I avoid conflicts and clashes my dreams and wishes are enclosed in self-denial. If I wish to have my own way the world around will not allow me to go ahead. May be to live  an enlightened life means burying your own desires as the Buddha said. But a man who withdraws from all frontiers is called a coward. If he does not fulfil his potential, he will deny himself a life that was given to him to perform the fullness of his being. For this perhaps man kills another man  calling him his enemy. Rapes a woman to satisfy his pleasure instinct. And these things are  called sin, crime and dark nonvalues. But when he moves on the illuminated path, he does not move further. He reads the scriptures, eats bland food, does not pluck a flower, does not appreciate beauty, does not enjoy royal power: What he really gains is knowledge about the given world. What is this knowledge? Man is born to add to the goodness of the world by his soulforce; to wipe off tears from another eye; to bring a smile in another face. Life is meant to foster and nourish life values which will conquer death and deathlike values.

This path of Light is shown by all great men almost in all civilizations . But history reveals that in no civilization man follows  these impersonal, otherworldly values to create an imaginary  heaven on earth. Has there ever been such a unidirectional civilization  in recorded history? The Indian civilization always emphasized the Vedic values. The dark instincts of life should be conquered by the light of wisdom. But could this wisdom save  civilizations that came up  in India's history? Dharma, Artha, Kama (Moksa) have their own paradigms of life.  But those who believed in hate, bloodshed, domination and loot came from beyond the borders and destroyed us. India could not retain its freedom. For more than 1600 years India was subdued, suppressed and ruled by foreigners for whom light meant power, hate, cruelty and masterdom. How is it that light could not dispel darkness?

In the modern world we notice clashes everywhere. For land, fossil fuel, water and riches people and governments fight. The internet has opened up vast space for human darkness. The twitter, FaceBook, Whats App have given free space to speak and write lies, hatred and abuse in words  which are swaddled in darkness. Is there any way out? How to go towards light? Or is it man's destiny to be in darkness despite the enlightened words of saints and sages? Well, I don't know.

Heaven

Heaven is a metaphor
a divine maya
we have created,
had it been real
we would have been
doomed by implosions.
Better it remains a metaphor
to drown us it in our
poetry and dreams.

Heaven is -
when I feed  my children ,
when elders bless me
when I bring smile
on crying faces,
when my dear ones
return home safe.
when I hold you in arms,
heaven is in your breath
that is my eternal metaphor.

The earth is in my pocket
I may throw it as a ball
if the mood takes me on
to create my heaven alone.

Sabita Sahu

Vigilance

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

Why does a man steal and loot when the survival constraints have almost been conquered by civilization. In the beginning when the next meal was uncertain  understandably he stole from those who had enough. But why be greedy of more and use the nature-given intelligence to collect and hoard what is not legitimately yours; thereby making the survival of others difficult? Scheming , plotting, planning to create chaos in society are insecure values. In the past chieftains and kings attacked other small kingdoms for land, water and other resources out of insecurity. The fear of losing freedom was a constant destabilizer of the mind. To escape chaos often we invited tyranny and to escape tyranny we had rebellions. These survival values now are slowly  being substituted by modern governments resorting to vigilance, espionage, lens eyes to keep the society in some order.  But inspite of governmental efforts man's innate evil propensities come up in novel ways to sabotage Order. Chanakya arguably is the first thinker tactician who thought of vigilance in a systematic manner to protect the common man from evil interference in their lives. The Arthashastra gives a detailed account of internal and external spying devices to ensure uninterfered freedom of the people. Machiavelli, who came much later in Europe, is at best a second cousin of Chanakya. But he too advocated the lion-fox games for administrative efficiency.

In the modern world all  Governments have  vigilance departments to prevent corruption which has ramified dimensions intruding into man's freedom to live as per his wishes. Thievery is now  a very sophisticated  black art. Cheating in the name of service, exploiting weaknesses in the law of the land, not to speak of plain and simple bribery, fake and sallow companies to loot public money, chit fund schemes and many such devices impinge on human gullibility. These evil practices compel us to  rethink human goodness in the changing contours of societal life. Greed for money and power reduces man to the quintessence of dust. Crime today has gone hitech and the cyber world has opened up unthinkable avenues for the vile propensities of man. Often a sadistic  cynicism is noticed, especially in the political and industrial spheres where greed is substituted by motiveless malignity. Human nature is denatured by criminal fancies. Such crimes are beyond law and order. This evil is surreptitious and vicious. To keep the society on course governments are taking  counter measures everywhere. And this measure is also not flawless: For no human agency today is above board. But choicelessly we have the vigilance department to check corrupt practices in men and organisations.

Vigilance is an imperceptible force operating in the society by governmental decree. It is not vigilantism which is a self-proclaimed moral energy often intruding on social freedom. vigilance is the eyes and ears of the administration to make the society comparatively clean and free flowing. We must  however  remember  that no human society can ever be absolutely free of corruption. If a doctor deliberately  illtreats a patient or demands money for certain services the patient often pays for his  life depends on the doctor. In such cases vigilance is helpless. If the patient does not complain the authorities  cannot do anything. If a teacher feeds wrong ideas  to his students no vigilance can help matters improve. Here comes the other value: courage to speak out. But if a man is benefited by unlawful means he prefers cowardice to courage. Here too vigilance is irrelevant for the victim thinks of himself as victor swallowing  his pride. If pride is not a native virtue, the courage to willingly accept suffering to purge the society will never come.

There is also another fear. The vigilance officer at times blackmails a corrupt man. Who will watch such officers who appropriate the societal authority for personal gains? What  is required today is perfect awareness of the constitutional  values which come from the right kind of education. But education today is functional. The moral fibre in man is dead in his chase of success. If man develops a strong moral sense he can contribute to the society the freedom of movement towards development.

"Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty"  said Lord Bryce. And this means each individual should be vigilant to safeguard his own rights and perform his duties honourably. This moral uprightness is difficult to inculcate if not impossible. Vigilance therefore, ought to be a moral exemplar to itself and the society.

Faith

Do I need a faith to live a life

directed by others' choices,

regulations and practices

observing  rituals to go to

some heaven about which

no one is certain?

When the sea breeze

touches  my senses my faith

grows  in majestic loveliness.

The smell of my love's chest

entices me more than the rose garden.

When my child learns to walk

holding my hand I feel  

the joy of heaven

and share with friends, neighbours

the unseen future

the joy of  life's faith.

Is not my daily chores

religious rituals and more humane?

They say I must visit temple

or church to build faith-

Why????

Haven't we divided the world

along church steeples

and temple peaks?

Haven't we shed enough blood

by reciting Om and Azan.

My faith is in the

naughtiness of  my children,

the sulk of my lover,

the medicine bills of my parents,

I whisper to life -

Why are you away - come

make the bliss of heaven for me.

Life itself is the greatest faith.

Love -  the only festival.

Those are my rituals

do not disturb my Faith- Please.

Sabita Sahu

The Call Of Life

She keeps her soul in the locker

and moves out for a body bargain

in the bright night killing her dreams.

Her voice sleeps in the quiet,

on-off of lights no more bother her

no hands left or right wipe her tear

as no hands are  the  same every night

for them, she is a body for  a night.

Her scarlet dress has no letter on it

all eyes stare at her, faces ogle

but she walks on high heels

the click-clack wakes her senses

to return home for a wash.

The Ganga  water in soap

makes her Draupadi again.

Takes out her soul from locker

wears and marches in pride

in the morning sun temple wards,

priests rush at her with vermilion

to touch her cheek and forehead

to put their holy mark.

Sabita Sahu

Publicity Craze

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

When I see today a group of individuals crowding around a victim of a car accident, gasping for breath, and clicking videos my blood boils. Is a dying man too an object of salacious publicity? I can understand the photo ops of ministers doling out freebies to the poor and hungry , although that too is inhuman exploitation of man's infirmities; for the minister too is hungry of publicity. But why should an accident victim or rape victim be used for publicity material? If publicity is communication to the larger  public for information, how is the common citizen edified by such information? Human poverty , destitution, depravity, nudity and even helpless tears are all now amateur camera fodder and unthinking persons find a surrogate of sexual excitement in such pictures. When young shoppers go to a Mall they click  pictures and release them on the Face Book for the wows of their FB group. The Birthday celebrations and parties are all on the FB and other Apps. A picnic or a book launch or even sightseeing are all publicity material.

May be I am an old fashioned prude or alienated from the new reality  but I feel this is a self-obsessed complex to show to the circle of your acquaintances how significant your activities are, and what a man/woman  of fashion-taste-choices- fancies you are. I may however be countered  by many that there is nothing wrong in self-publicity. In these times of information if your friends and relations enjoy seeing your activities, why not give them that pleasure? Well, I can't agree more. But what about the countless others who do more important things for society or nation without any publicity? Bureaucrats, Scientists, writers , thinkers and also nation builders and politicians do more important things without bothering for publicity. A true lover never lets the world know what a great lover he is. Einstein never had a camera man by his side when he was spending sleepless midnight hours to show to the world how he perspired  over minor problems.

But the world was curious to know how he worked, what he ate and wore  after his relativity became a  gamechanger in Physics and Mathematics. The nonentity wishes to show his meaningless activities to his circle, the bigger the better. Prasun Joshi never uploads pictures of his frenzy over the choice of a word. Amitabh Ghosh does not publicize what research materials he collected and how, for his Hungry Tides or Sea of Poppies: We have not seen videos  of Churchill  working all night during the war although that would enlighten us about the ways of a genius. The true celebrity , the real genius does not bother about publicity: It is the Mr. Nobody(s) who is eager to let the world know how he shopped in a Mumbai Super Market. People are hungry to know how Harivansh Rai Bachchan performed before  midnight audiences and wrote Madhusala after his duties as Professor of English at Allahabad University. But the poetester's video goes viral showing his writings table and pen and (pegs) stacks of books.

Publicity is required to inform people about their rights and what the state  proposes to give them. Publicity is must when new taxes are proposed by Government or when a life saving  medicine is released to the market. But what you wear for your marriage or who made you up is too private to be publicized. But wait-wait- if that pumps up your ego or elevates the status of your family or makes your circle envious, well do it . But spare us mortals who believe in silent work. If our  work is appreciated  others will do our publicity.

Imagine the immortals- Vyasa, Valmiki, Shakespeare, Copernicus and a host of greats who had no camera phone nor any publicist. Vyasa- Valmiki did not even write the date or name- for they  believed in Eternity and the  vastness of the world, too large for human signature. Perhaps for that they  are read and researched even today although we never know what they looked like. Publicity for the genuine is a post -appreciation chase: For the Fake it is an obsessive hunger. Choose and cheers.

Gandhi 150

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty

The future historians of the world would be amazed that in the first half of the twentieth century there were two oxymoronic value systems dominating the story of man. In the European theatre and in Russia we saw the rise of a self-resurgence of human dignity that challenged the Czarist regime: The Bolshevic movement in Russia gave rise to the belief that man, whatever his hue, will not tolerate the unreasonable inhuman domination of brute force. This inspired poets like. H. Auden and others to assert the rights of man. But immediately after the Bolshevic  revolution and the First  World War, the world saw the rise of a more powerful fascist force, racially motivated and ruthless, in Hitler's Germany . At the same time in India we experienced another kind of elevation of the human spirit. After Gandhii-Mohandas Karamchand- returned from South Africa to his homeland, India, he started  a unique human movement which could be safely termed as a spiritual uprising. Gandhi started a Freedom Movement in a country dominated by the British powers that had almost destroyed the human spirit in India- not to speak of the decimation of India's identity as a ten thousand year old civilization. Gandhi united the hungry, unfed unclad millions with his call for Swaraj, self-rule. In other words the Gandhian Movement was for the rights of man to make his own destiny by utilizing the human resources of free quest for identity.

Before Gandhi the world had not seen any movement without arms - the arms to wield the sword or a gun- without violence and untruth. In one sense it was  not a war or insurgency : It was man's birth right to be free and to manage his and his country's affairs without fear or tyranny. Gandhi's weapons were truth and non violence which were the soulforce of this ancient land. Gandhi historically unites India's great past with the turbulence of the present and evolves a method -if method it was-of assertion of rights without resistance.

What Gandhi did was not an Indian exclusive . He was admired and followed by others in the world who found the human spirit  suppressed by inhuman authority. Martin Luther King(Junior)in America and Nelson Mandela in Africa were inspired by Gandhi's ideas. The American writer Thoroeau too was   edified by  Gandhian values . The world saw in Gandhi another Christ. Gandhi  made the Indian past his present by updating  the Buddha-Ashoka values. The sword was not the ornament of the brave. Human bravery is built in and  in born: It is the Soulforce. The first manifestation of the soulforce is courage, the courage to stand erect when the British lathis fell on the head. And to speak the truth without fear. And not to kill or retaliate, for revenge too is a violent answer to the oppressor. These values he tried to inculcate in the fellow Indians by demonstrating the unity of thought- speech  and action. What Gandhi thought, he spoke and what he spoke, he did.

When the post-Gandhi world, especially the younger generation in America, saw Attenborough's film Gandhi, it was stunned  into the realization that there was a lean, naked(half) man, not so handsome or powerful, who could subdue the power of the mighty British empire by his whispered values of love, truth, non-violence and above all by his soulforce. HIs presence was divine but he was human to the core.

Today while celebrating the 150th year of his birth we Indians have made him a brand. Remembering Gandhi and following his ideals are laudable but branding him is blasphemy. The political context and the life scenario is totally different. Let us celebrate Gandhi but let us also try to be a  Gandhi in our own arena of human activity. Gandhi is for mankind: Let us not monopolize him for our own ends.

Night Aches

When night comes

mind wanders to

seen and  unseen lands,

aching bone dissuades my

dreams to incomplete

texts of irrelevance.

Why do nights come ,

when the bright sun

caresses the dew,

night suddenly creeps into mind

laughter ceases in acrid silence

burning my soul in apathy,

my world recedes into

paradigmatic oblivion.

I try to gather myself

sweep away the litter of the past

the pricking pins of present,

but images recur and often

I fail to wipe off the slate as

the moving finger uncleans  it again.

I pray take away the day

make my world the reign of night

at least give me my moon and stars

if night I deserve

I deserve my share of joy too

without aching bones

and nagging memories.

Sabita Sahu