20 Aug 2010

...of Being*

Posted by Oblivion in Poetry | 8:21am


as the first rays
of the mighty
the malevolent sun
wooed the day
(yet another day)
darkness gave way
to light that would
flirt till dusk

yet, from beatific light
to blinding darkness
life, for him, moved
in a mean moment
(terse as silence)
the restless heart
ran behind her
to woo, to stop

and as she went
she took his all
he stood still, light
as a feather, for
he went with her
(yet, he stood alone)
feeling crushed under
the unbearable lightness...

(abridged)

(*thanks to Milan Kundera)

4 Aug 2010

Dimensions

Posted by Oblivion in Philosophy | 12:55pm


Even as he dropped all weapons and armour in the midst of the battlefield, Arjuna, the inimitable warrior, was fighting a battle with himself. Will he relish victory, exterminating the kin, he pondered.

Of what sweetness
Shall victory be
When I must slay
Those who I call mine

Of what merit
Shall peace be
Cold as death
A bitter fruit of war

Who will win? Who will lose? Who will die? Who will survive? What is right? What is not? What for, after all? Does the Lord, the Omniscient One, have the answers? Can He assure that nobody dies?

Lord Krishna's face radiated serenity and quiet. He turned to the dejected Arjuna and said with conviction, "Arjuna, I have no answers to your plight. Only this much is true - the war is the outer, the warrior is the inner. I cannot control the outer dimension. It's a battle; anything can happen. I can, however, control the inner dimension. I can assure you salvation, but cannot assure you of the next meal. Do what you can as best as you could; whatever happens, happens. That is all there is".

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