Draupadi- VII

 

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's

DRAUPADI - VII

Draupadi In The Village

 

Despite warning displeasure cajolement

Drupad's daughter convinced all

collected a thousand gold coins

cartloads of rice and clothes

and set forth early morning with Alpana

fifty guards of the palace escorted her,

her denials were ignored for protocol.

All her entreaties to go alone

not as Princess Draupadi but

as woman, Draupadi  fell flat

on Drupad and the other royals:

dignity and security concerns

prevailed over her normal desires.

 

She rode in a chariot dressed in plain clothes

her bright sunrise face radiating charm

Draupadi was eager to see the new world

beyond the palace of protected pride.

Alpana alerted her what to expect

but the Princess visualized her own scenario.

 

Anuradhapur was a narrow two  rows

of poor dwellings dirty and shabby

this was her first encounter with poverty.

She saw smiths at work dropping tools,

fear smeared faces of women came out

old men and children tried to guess

who the visitor with royal entourage was.

 

Draupadi alighted at mid street

greeted everyone men, women and all,

meantime the clamour  of salutations

'Victory be to the Princess' grew around

people rushed forward to touch her feet,

embarrassed Draupadi with folded hands

prayed for calm and sat down

on the veranda of a weaver family.

 

Don't be afraid my countrymen

you are my family, friend and relations

I came to see you, talk to you

and I wish to eat with you

if you feed me as your daughter.

Their lips widened in happy smiles 

they took her to the Hanuman temple

and she enquired passionately

their living, life, livelihood.

She was endeared to every family

She met the women while they all admired

her glowing beauty and simple ways.

 

Before she returned after eating

in a farmer's house she gave

the village elders the gold and the provisions

tasking them to start a school for children

she asked the women to read and write

'Be Yourself' she said 'Don't compromise

your dignity, work hard at home

and in fields to change your fate'.

Most villagers saw her off walking,

running almost to the palace gate

shouts of 'Long Live Princess'

'Victory be to Draupadi' delighted the king

and everyone received her all smiles.

 

DRAUPADI - VI

 

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's

DRAUPADI - VI

DRAUPADI IN THE GARDEN

 

The fragrant twilight

with inviting reverence

greeted the Princess caressingly

Draupadi sauntered in her majesty

exuding a fresh flush on her cheeks

she widened her arms jestfully

to embrace all flowers earthly, eerie

in the dumb light of sunset.

 

A group of shouting urchins

half naked, emaciated boys - girls

distracted her, she looked beyond

the gates of the garden in shock

are these children real, are they human

where have they gone

 where do they go!

 

She called the gardener and asked

who are these children

where do they live,

Do they live in such misery?

The gardener meekly answered

Princess these kids live in the

nearby village, return home

after the day's toil.

 

These kids toil!

What do they do?

They work in the fields

to bring home some money

The gardener said hesitatingly

to keep the fire burning

in their humble hearths.

 

Draupadi lost interest in the flowers

The cool breeze and the flowing scent

smarted her like poisoned darts

she asked, how far is the village?

Anuradhapura is two kos from here:

 

Tomorrow I'll go there at dawn

I'll walk - no chariot, no horse

just ask someone to show me the way

I'll go alone.

 

A heavy head bowed her down

the pathway to her chamber

coiled serpent like slowed her steps:

I have no childhood, I never

sucked my mother's breast

I do not know what it means

to grow in poverty - yet these

urchins had energy to shout

at day's end no hunger stemmed

their passion to return home!

What home, what life, what?

I must see it myself.

Brave New Life

 

The road leads me elsewhere 

no where will be appropriate

but cruel to  the planners who wish

to make the world an imagined heap

of flats topped by TV antennas, pots

some plants of flower unscented by chemicals

and in the small drawing rooms children

fire plastic guns watch comics and laugh

parents play the mobiles for money transfers

online booking of grocery medicines, clothes

the office starts in the bedrooms both

looking east and west in nighties and pyajamas

pitch high stakes over cups of tea.

 

Where are the trees gone  where are the

rivers changing courses on cement beds

to feed the commercial projects cashless?

The sky is dark over LED rooms, the flute

does not swim the air to reach my ear

the midnight bash, picnics appear unreal

I don't miss his Princess call

I measure my space in spaceless world

to stay away from all infections.

Sabita Sahu

Your Jagannath And My Jagannath

Your Jagannath is not

free to be the atom universe,

you visit a prisoner in your

multicrore temple made of stone

wood gold and other royal gems

where you feed him, present him

food, money and gold

and ask him for luck, wealth

success and all good things

which your desires prompt.

He does not respond to 

your supplications.

How can he? When you have 

imprisoned him with your proud

display of wealth and architectural skills,

lest he wanders away

to lavish bounties on others!

My Jagannath is free

he is everywhere -

up down in sky earth and air,

He loves me as I love him

he holds me and kisses me

at time ditches me when

most I need him to test my faith

I see him feel him.

I never feed him - He does

I never speak to him  - He does

I never touch him - He does:

He encloses me in  his vastness

whispers to me as my true lover

Hey! Work hard, Love more

I am with you in sweet and sour.

Your temple is too small for life

My Jagannath is the temple of life

I Live him every breath.

Sabita Sahu

DRAUPADI - V

PrafullaKumar Mohanty's

DRAUPADI - V

 

DRAUPADI IN THE LIBRARY

 

The Royal library was grand

a diamond shaped  mansion

full of palm leaf scrolls arranged

in careful stacks dusted clean

for the Princess's academic tour.

 

Draupadi in a plain white silk saree

entered barefoot with Alpana in toe.

She moved in slow steps escorted by

the chief librarian Acharya Sumanta

detailed the holdings in soft tone

the erudite Acharaya pointed out the Vedas,

Dharmashastra, Arthashastra, Kamashastra,

Natyashastra, Plays, Lyrics, Astrology

and many volumes of Architecture

Warfare, Archery, Wrestling.

After the first row of stacks Draupadi asked

You have Brahmi, Sanskrit - also Arabic

The Acharaya added pointing at two rows!

We also have books in Vijnana, Magic

and the Householders duties, management of

Palaces, Temples, Vedic rituals and Tribal music.

Draupadi asked whether books in Dance

and Painting were there, the Acharaya nodded.

 

Draupadi went around

stacks of palm leaf manuscripts

took out the Atharva Veda

sat on a high chair and read

for two hours on end

she also read portions of

a book on the Royal Dice

also turned pages of Gandhar Art:

she had no hunger no desire

for mundane needs

she returned when the afternoon sun

in pale boredom

turned westwards to retire

after a long day's service.

Dynamic Realities

In a moment eternity can be lived

a drop is the ocean

universe is in a grain

these poetic homilies

delightfully console

a morbid soul.

 

The years of mobile moments,

years of video romance

love, war, truce and small talks

and joys are my fulfillments

of a half lived life.

 

What shall I call the gone years

was it years of silent worship,

was it wasting of best period of time

was it ignorance or arrogance,

or the closed rooms soliloquies

that could not reach the longing ears.

 

But I want to change the norms

and turn my soliloquies to

sweet melodies hummed by all

my loneliness into amity of love

to spark and ignite,

before I leave this world.

Sabita Sahu

DRAUPADI - IV

 

Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's

DRAUPADI - IV

DRAUPADI IN ROYAL GEAR

 

No Madam Princess, not that one

he is a charger yet untamed

you better start with this pony

Draupadi laughed - thank you

for not pointing at the mare.

 

Draupadi selected the shining black

stout horse in the stud,

ignoring stallions and other breeds

She stepped on the stirrup and heaved herself

before she settled on the saddle

the charger started galloping

ignoring the Jockey's shouts,

disappeared from sight in no time.

The servants panicked and ran behind

but Draupadi  knew what she was doing

the fire born had fire in her

to face odds and challenges.

 

Her brother Dhristhadyumna saw her fly past. 

the enclosure where arrow shooting

and sword play were in full swing.

He admired and asked the worried man

not to bother, she is after all a Princess.

 

The horse flew on yamuna banks

Draupadi held the reins tight

she had no fear or fright

the charger was happy

to carry a woman of stature

so determined and graceful,

Draupadi was happy she could

turn the jungles into welcome

roads leading up to life's

magnificent display of beauty

in variegated measures.

 

After about two hours she was sighted

to the delight of the nervous Jockey

the horse was on a trot fully tamed

Draupadi alighted at the shooting zone

she asked for a bow and quiver

her brother gave her a lance

and they practised intently

when the sun peaked at mid day,

the training session was adjourned

the brother-sister duo returned

chatting happily for rest and refreshment.