4 verses · ~1 min
याद आती है मुझे तुमने रहा था, एक दिन पाँओं तले धरती न होगी! जग कहेगा गीत ये जीवन भरे हैं, ज़िन्दगी इन स्वरों में बँधती न होगी!
आज पाँओं के तले धरती नहीं है, दूर हूँ मैं एक चिर-निर्वासिता-सी, काल के इस शून्य रेगिस्तान पथ पर, चल रही हूँ तरल मधु के कण लुटाती!
उन स्वरों के गीत जो सुख ने न गाये, स्वर्ग सपनों की नहीं जो गोद खेले, हलचलों से दूर अपने विजन पथ पर छेड़ना मत विश्व, गाने दो अकेले!
कहां इंसां को मिला है वह हृदय, जिसको कभी भी कामना छलती न होगी याद फिर आई मुझे तुमने कहा था, एकदिन पाँओं तले धरती न होगी
इति
The Poet
प्रतिभा सक्सेना
Pratibha Saxena
Dr. Pratibha Saxena holds a distinct and vital place in contemporary Hindi literature. Her work connects the rigorous intellectual demands of academia with the sensitive realities of human relationships. Born on February 9, 1938, in Madhya Pradesh, her life path took her from the lecture halls of Kanpur, where she worked as an educator, to a diasporic existence in the United States. This geographical shift is highly visible in her diverse literary output, which includes poetry, short stories, and satire. In collections like Uttar Katha and Seema Ke Bandhan, she examines the modern domestic sphere. She highlights the subtle constraints placed upon women and the shifting dynamics of family life with deep psychological insight. Her language carries a quiet and confident thoughtfulness that never shouts but still commands complete attention. Saxena has spent decades enriching Hindi literature, demonstrating that a writer can remain deeply rooted in their native culture while living far from home.
Paired Painting
Sita in Ashok Vatika
In this poignant composition, Raja Ravi Varma captures the profound solitude of Sita, the queen of Ayodhya, as she endures her forced isolation. She sits amidst the lush greenery of the forest, her posture radiating a mixture of immense grace and deep, contemplative sorrow. Her gaze is distant, turned away from the physical world toward the memory of her husband, Rama. Varma masters the depiction of divine patience here, grounding a mythological icon in a human, relatable atmosphere that speaks to the endurance of the soul through cycles of suffering and separation. The painting serves as a bridge between ancient scripture and the modern Indian psyche.
Open the viewer →