Itihaas-7

Samudraswapn-The dream of the Ocean

Today, My Kanu,
I saw in My Dreams-
The vast depthless ocean;
On whose serpent bed,
Have We been reclining,
Since Time Immemmorial!

Where once the
Brilliant Sun arose-
Today what do I see?
Millions of barren oysters;
Lashing in the waves;
Adorned with helmets of moss,
Armed with bows of dead fish,
Ready for war!
And you standing aside;
Dejected, morose,
Sometimes mediator,
Sometimes indifferent;
At other times-
At War!

And finally, I see;
You are exhausted,
Dejected, desolate,
Gloomy, inconsolable,
Dazed in melancholic stupor-
You rest your fevered brow,
Upon My shoulders;
Disconsolate, seeking solace, comfort-
Your wandering fingers,
Scribble on the shore;
With no expectations, no hopes.
Simply to cool your weary fingers-I
n the placid waters,
For momentary relief-


I saw the Ocean
In my dream Kanu,
Poisoned crests, lifeless Suns,
Barren Oyesters, Dead Fish,
The waves are relentless,
And you with upraised arms;
Are entreating aloud in vain,
But Alas nobody gives a ear!


Finally, You return;
Defeated, desolate, saddened,
Laying your head on my Bosom,
You fall asleep-
And my bosom;
Like the soft lotus leaf
Afloat on the sea-
On which You recline;
Rocked to slumber,
in the cradle of the waves-
Your lips move ever so softly:-
"My Duty, what is My duty"-
The Waters Pat you to sleep.
The Waves rock You to sleep.:-
Sleep Mighty Saint, Sleep,
Slumber is Salvation:-
You murmur in your sleep::-
"What is Justice, Wisdom,
Who decides the line
differentiating Right from Wrong?"
:-The Waves answer::-
"Sleep on, Lord of The Universe,
Awakening is merely a Dream
A Deception, A Delusion!"-


Beads of sweat on your brow;
Your lips quiver,
You start in shock!
You had no touchstone,
By which to decide;
And so You gamble away-
The fateful Decision-
Like a game of Dice!:-
"Duty is at my feet,
Vice at my headside"
:-Hearing which,
The exhausted waves
Signal the floods to begin!

And You sit on the shores
Looking up with vacant,melancholic gaze
You shudder to think-:-
"What if I had found Duryodhan at my feet;
That day!Ah Arjuna!
I too have been
A naive lad
On the shores Of the vast Ocean of Destiny!!"


I saw the Ocean
In my dream today
Oh Kanu!
The winds are blowing
The trees are rustling
Along the shores.
All in vain,Pathetic attempts;
To create an imprint
On the sands of Time!


History stumbles on crutches!
The Gandiva that was-
Empowered by your incantations;
Has now sunk like wet moss!
And now you areDisconsolate, depressed-

Near the shore,Are coconut trees-
You sit silently-
Under an ancient Peepul tree,
Silent, morose, Indifferent,
And today, for- The first time,
There is fatigue
On your brow
You are exhausted, cheerless,
You look on detached;
A sigh escapes from your lips-
FinallyYou have abandoned
HistoryLike old clothing-
And at this momentOf Failure, Of Agony,
You have finally remembered Me!


The glow of the lamp is flickering;
Darkness is approaching,
Your long tired arms;
Are the waves of the Ocean-
The lost oysters are your quivering lips-
And at last today,
You are but a call,
A deep beckoning,
You are calling for Me!
You have abandoned everything
You are lost-
You are seeking me!!!