10 verses · ~1 min
पीछे छूटि गई सारी भीर-भार! अब तो उतरि गो सैलाब, जी में काहे की हरास, लै जात नहीं केऊ का उधार!
सँवारि दये बच्चा, निभाइ दियो कुनबा, अब बार फँसे चाँदी के तार!
झेली छाँह-धूप सारी, राह पूरी करि डारी, थोरो बच्यो सो भी होय जाई पार!
सही लागे सोई करिबे, आपुन सिर उठाय जीबै! केऊ और से लगइबे ना गुहार!
मोरे आपुने हैं सारे कोई बूढ़ कोई बारे, बाँट लेई सारो दुख सुख सबार!
जौ लौं जियैये राम, खाली बैठिबो हराम, ना केऊ की दया की दरकार!
दीन नाहीं हुइबे, मलीन नाहीं हुइबे, कुछु जादा नहीं चाहिबो हमार!
कोऊ पछितावा नहीं, अँसुअन की भाखा नहीं, विरथा नाहीं गयो जीवन हमार!
आपुन पावनो लै लीन्हों, हुइ पायो सो कर दीन्हो! अब तो सामने ही होई लिखवार!
मोरी जोत ना धुँधुआय, पूरी भभके औ बुझि जाय! प्रभु से ऐही बस विनती हमार
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
Domestic Scene with Man Smoking Hookah and Woman Sewing
This intimate portrait captures a quiet, rhythmic moment of domestic life in early twentieth century India. An elderly man, draped in traditional attire, finds a moment of stillness while drawing from his hookah, the curling smoke suggesting a pause in time. Meanwhile, a younger woman sits nearby, entirely focused on her needlework. The painting evokes the simple, profound dignity of rural existence during this era, where the hum of everyday labor and the scent of smoldering coals defined the sanctuary of the home. M. Muranjan masterfully portrays the texture of their quiet companionship, inviting us to witness the peace found in the shared silence of a household.
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