OUR WARRIOR-YOGI NETAJI
SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE
A TRIBUTE
Ashok Raj
OUR WARRIOR-YOGI NETAJI
SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE
A TRIBUTE
Ashok Raj
At every dawn, the sun rises with its reddish sad face
as if it had cried the whole night –
as if it finds nothing in the world below right.
Every day, the weary sun finds an adolescent - the Chosen One -
sitting on the bank of the river with a deeply anguished face,
looking constantly at the enslaved water
so reluctantly flowing in front of him….
as if it is being held prisoner in a watery cage.
The boy looks up –
streams of white cranes are flying in the sky
with a holyfreedom and grace.
Henow lowers his head and soon gets lost in deep thoughts–
“Oh! This multitude of my brothers and sisters
bonded in chains under the shadow of guns and canes,
and none of the things they so proudly once owned
now with them remains!
Oh! What a disgrace! Oh! What a disgrace!!”
His sadness increases every moment
He again looks at the enslaved water–
it is unable to flow freely in the hearts of his people.
The boy sighs
and starts sobbing in his deep painful silence -
tears start flowing from his bigeyes!
Suddenly,this young yogi opens his eyes,
raises his head erect
and taking thepadmasan in perfect,
starts meditating on this heroic seat,
He goes deep and deep,
where nothing from the outside could creep -.
but he fails to get the answerso desperately
he is seeking.
Years pass this wayand every day
this boy would come and sitting by the enslaved water,
would keepdigging the sand of this water to get the answer.
***
Then suddenly one day, deep into the night in deep mediation
he receives the grace and the illumination-
– in the golden light spreading in the whole space
he gets the cosmic darshan of the Mother Goddess
in Her full magnificence and glory in this bright haze -
wearing the garland made of his tears.
The Mother smiles
and putting her divine hand on her young seeker says -
“O, you great son of my world,
Be the Mahaveer Arjun
Be victorious of each and every
Dharmyoudh!”
Theyogi opens his eyes –
so gladdened and empowered he now becomes –
he starts pouringout his cherished dreams of high flying,
After so many years, O reader, he finally smiles-
this smile was to console the nation so tired of crying and sighing.
***
The warrior-yogi, holding a tall flag in one hand -
Maa’s trident in the other
and riding an eternal victorious fireball he has acquired -
starts rolling through cities, towns, villages, forests
all those big mountains and the seas and deserts,
and finally,he rolls into the hearts of his people -
so happily and so perfect-
and with a speedthatnobody has been able to measure yet.
- all the impediments of this world
and that of the other worldsfailed to stop him.
This deva-parushnow starts melting all the chains
and turns them into weapons
which were to firepeople’s will into the sky
in the times to come,
The high waves of Ganga too begin to dance -
its holy water now carries a galaxy ofdivas in full bloom.
Finally, this deva-parushclimbs the highest spotin the world,
andblows his victorious trumpet so loud that no one had done so ever -
and raising his fist he proclaims,
“O,my countrymen and women!
Jai-Jai-Jai, Jai-Jai forever!”
Jai-Jai-Jai, Jai-Jai forever, for our Maa, forever!!”
This long-due message resounds in every heart
and reverberates in the nation’s every part.
***
Despite those schemers wearing the feathers of white pigeons -
despite their deceitsevery moment and in all seasons -
the golden light of this deva-parushcould not be extinguished
nor the wings of his flying-highdreams could be cut and clipped;
Thousands and thousands now march singing in great valour-
“From our minds,your glory,O Subhash!
not even for a moment getserased or slipped!!”
***
Even today,the smallest child of the nation wakes up
and leaving the comfortable lap of his mother,
standsup in full attention and salutesin all reverence -
our nation’s great warrior-yogi.
The child now blows his little trumpet and proclaims:
“O my countrymen and women,
Our Netaji remainsdeep in our hearts -
no, no, far deeper and even further!
Even now this Mahaveer Arjun of ours
keeps us inspiring to sing as he has done always –
“Jai-Jai-Jai, Jai-Jai forever!
Jai-Jai-Jai, Jai-Jai forever, for our Maa, forever, forever!!”
END