8 verses · ~1 min
मरते हुए जानवर की आँख में आख़िरी तस्वीर है जंगल की
मरती हुई चिड़िया की आँख में तिनके की है आख़िरी तस्वीर
मरती हुई लडकी की आँख में आख़िरी तस्वीर है प्यार की
मरती हुई औरत की आँख में घर की है आख़िरी तस्वीर
मरते हुए आदमी की आँख में आख़िरी तस्वीर पत्थर की है
कवि की आँख में आख़िरी तस्वीर दुनिया की है
रचनाकाल: 1992, विदिशा
शलभ श्रीराम सिंह की यह रचना उनकी निजी डायरी से कविता कोश को चित्रकार और हिन्दी के कवि कुँअर रवीन्द्र के सहयोग से प्राप्त हुई। शलभ जी मृत्यु से पहले अपनी डायरियाँ और रचनाएँ उन्हें सौंप गए थे।
इति
The Poet
शलभ श्रीराम सिंह
Shalabh Shriram Singh
1939 · 1960s
Shalabh Shriram Singh was a bohemian visionary who deliberately rejected the comfortable illusions of mainstream literature to forge an entirely new path. Born in 1938 in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, he became the driving force behind the Yuyutsawad movement in Hindi poetry during the late 1960s. He refused to be categorized by traditional literary epochs, writing with a rebellious spirit that sought a total transformation of society. His iconic poem Nafas Nafas Kadam Kadam became a revolutionary anthem, echoing through protests and progressive circles long after it was written. Singh possessed a remarkable ability to bridge the lyrical traditions of the Urdu ghazal with the grounded realities of modern Hindi verse. He wrote not for applause, but to confront the deep social inequalities and religious hypocrisies that plagued the nation. Passing away in 2000, he left behind a legacy that continues to inspire young writers. He remains a fearless poet of the marginalized, proving that true literature must possess the courage to make the comfortable feel intensely uncomfortable.
Paired Painting
The Death of Jatayu
This profound work captures one of the most heartrending moments from the Ramayana, where the noble vulture king Jatayu lies fallen after a valiant, selfless battle against Ravana to protect Mother Sita. The artist, A.H. Muller, imbues the scene with a heavy, somber dignity. We see the final moments of a hero who gave his life for dharma, while Sita, in her grief, kneels to comfort the dying bird king. Ravana stands as a towering, imposing shadow behind them, representing the darkness that sought to prevail. It is a poignant meditation on sacrifice, loyalty, and the eternal struggle between light and shadow, rendered with the emotive realism that defined Muller's approach to our sacred epics.
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