№ MMXXVI

RACHNA · A LIVING ARCHIVE

Rachna by M.

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MM · XXVI

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Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the Forest

Shanta

यहाँ से भी चलें

Yahan Se Bhi Chalen

Om Prabhakar
1 min read 5 versesप्रस्थानdepartureधूप

5 verses · ~1 min

चलें, अब तो यहाँ से भी चलें।

उठ गए हिलते हुए रंगीन कपड़े सूखते। (अपाहिज हैं छत-मुँडेरे) एक स्लेटी सशंकित आवाज़ आने लगी सहसा दूर से।

चलें, अब तो पहाड़ी उस पार बूढ़े सूर्य बनकर ढलें।

पेड़, मंदिर, पंछियों के रूप। कौन जाने कहाँ रखकर जा छिपी वह सोनियातन करामाती धूप।

चलें, अब तो बन्द कमरों में सुलगती लकड़ियों-से जलें।

इति

Om Prabhakar

The Poet

ओम प्रभाकर

Om Prabhakar

1935 · 2005

Om Narayan Awasthi, known to the literary world as Om Prabhakar, was born in 1941. He carved a unique space for himself by moving fluidly across the boundaries of Hindi poetry, Urdu ghazals, and critical literature. While many poets confined themselves to a single tradition, Prabhakar merged the lyricism of the ghazal with the grounded vocabulary of modern Hindi verse. His writing acts as a quiet rebellion against political apathy and social decay. Rather than relying on loud sloganeering, his poems and ghazals use understated irony to expose the contradictions of contemporary life. He also produced significant literary criticism, including works analyzing major figures like Mohan Rakesh. His verses speak directly to the ordinary individual navigating an increasingly fragmented society. He stands as a bridge between the classical poetic heritage and the urgent realities of the modern Indian experience.

Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the Forest

Paired Painting

Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the Forest

This exquisite leaf captures a poignant moment of serenity amidst the profound exile of Lord Rama, his devoted wife Sita, and his loyal brother Lakshmana. Within the quietude of the forest, the divine figures are depicted living a life of ascetic simplicity, far removed from the grandeur of the Ayodhya throne. Rama and Sita sit with grace upon a raised platform, while Lakshmana tends to a small fire, a humble act that speaks volumes of his unwavering service. The lush greenery, the gentle wildlife, and the golden hues of the setting sun reflect the harmony between the divine and the natural world, a hallmark of the Kangra style that seeks to elevate the viewer to a state of meditative contemplation.

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If this held you

Four more, in the same key.

Chosen for their rasa and their register, not their popularity. Each one carries some part of what Yahan Se Bhi Chalen carries.