Blinded By Halo
I spent the entire night thinking of Buddha. I had purchased an idol of Buddha that evening, so i was preoccupied with Buddha. Next morning, as usual, i was having breakfast listening to radio. A discussion was taking place on the celebrated hindi poet Maithil Sharan Gupta. The discussion went on to a poetry of his where he speaks of the life of Yashodhara after Siddartha left the palace, at the stroke of midnight, to attain knowledge and become Buddha.
I felt ashamed for i had never thought as to what was the life of Yashodhara after Siddartha left her! Suddenly i remembered an essay of Rabindranath Tagore where he says that Urmila is a neglected charachter in Ramayana. Sita, Tagore says, left the luxury of life for her husband but Urmila had to sacrifice her husband itself even before she had casted off her bridal dress. So tagore says the sacrifice of Urmila is greater than that of Sita.
May be, while celebrating some people, we tend to overlook the sufferings of some people. The halo of some blinds our eyes to the world of some people.
*****
Soliloquy of Urmila
You Might Come Back
After Many Years
But What To Do?
Your Love(r) Has Been
Embraced By Old Age
While Standing Alone
In This Strong Palace.
Misty Are Eyes
Remembering Your Words;
‘Love Doesn’t Melt, Evaporate,
Nor Does It Go Dry’
– And So On
But,
Love Is Nothing But A
Long Wait, Unending Search For Me.
Tell Me,
Even If You Come Back
Can I Return (To My Youth)?
– Vibha Tirakpady
(Translated from Kannada by me)
20 January 2009
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