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The Pandavas arrive in Hastinapur

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पीहर का बिरवा

Pihara Ka Birva

Amarnath Srivastava
1 min read 6 versesMemory

6 verses · ~1 min

पीहर का बिरवा छतनार क्या हुआ, सोच रही लौटी ससुराल से बुआ।

भाई-भाई फरीक पैरवी भतीजों की, मिलते हैं आस्तीन मोड़कर क़मीज़ों की झगड़े में है महुआ डाल का चुआ।

किसी की भरी आँखें जीभ ज्यों कतरनी है, किसी के सधे तेवर हाथ में सुमिरनी है कैसा-कैसा अपना ख़ून है मुआ।

खट्टी-मीठी यादें अधपके करौंदों की, हिस्से-बँटवारे में खो गए घरौंदों की बिच्छू-सा आंगन डालान ने छुआ।

पुस्तैनी रामायण बंधी हुई बेठन में अम्मा जो जली हुई रस्सी है ऐंठन में बाबू पसरे जैसे हारकर जुआ।

लीप रही है उखड़े तुलसी के चौरे को आया है द्वार का पहरुआ भी कौरे को, साझे का है भूखा सो गया सुआ।

इति

Amarnath Srivastava

The Poet

अमरनाथ श्रीवास्तव

Amarnath Srivastava

1945 · 2000s

Amarnath Srivastava was a defining voice of the Navgeet movement who masterfully bridged traditional lyricism with the complex realities of modern Indian life. Born in 1937 in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh, he spent much of his working life in Allahabad, balancing a corporate career with a deep commitment to literature. Rather than writing from an isolated ivory tower, he drew poetic inspiration from everyday struggles, urban alienation, and changing human relationships. His prominent collections, such as the acclaimed Geru Ki Lipiyan and Dopahar Mein Gulmohar, showcase his remarkable ability to infuse profound emotional depth into highly accessible language. He also made significant contributions to the Hindi ghazal with works like Aadmi Ko Dekhkar. Honored twice with the prestigious Nirala Samman and later the Sahitya Bhushan, Srivastava passed away in 2009. His verses remain a poignant commentary on the middle class experience, capturing both the ache of nostalgia and the stark truths of a rapidly shifting society.

The Pandavas arrive in Hastinapur

Paired Painting

The Pandavas arrive in Hastinapur

This profound composition captures the pivotal moment when the young Pandava brothers, accompanied by their mother Kunti and Draupadi, arrive at the majestic gates of Hastinapur. The atmosphere is heavy with destiny, as the royal family steps into a city that is simultaneously their birthright and the site of their future trials. The artist masterfully portrays the quiet dignity of the five brothers, standing in contrast to the opulent, yet foreboding, architecture of the Kuru capital. It is a moment of immense vulnerability and grace, marking the threshold where the fate of the Bharata lineage begins to unfold toward the inevitable events of the Mahabharata.

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