માનવ એકતા

 

 

                         painting by: Parul Parikh 

જાણું છુ કે,

 જાંજવાના જળ મહી પાણીની બુંદ ક્યાં મળે

 સ્વઅર્થી   ચક્ષુમાં  સંવેદન  અશ્રુ  ના  મળે 

ચીનગારી  ઇર્ષા તણી ને  હામ હૈયુ સૌ બળે

અવિદ્યા વસ્તુ વર્તુળે ક્ષેત્ર ક્ષેત્રજ્ઞ એક ના મળે

પ્રભુ બક્ષો,

પરમ  શાંતિ ધામમાં  ઉત્પાત  કંટક  ના મળે

સૂર્યના સ્નેહ ઉજાસમાં રાત કાલિમા ના મળે

 મહાસાગર નીરમાં મોજાની ભિન્નતા ના મળે

ને  અનંત અભેદ સત્યમાં  માનવ એકતા મળે

                 મૃત્યુના  આવતા પહેલા  પૂરો  ઉપયોગી  બનુ

                 અમાનુષ કૃત્ય કરતો મટી,સહિષ્ણુ માનવ બનુ

 

ગુંજન

કોઈ મીઠી યાદ  લઈ  આવે મન ગુંજન

કોઈ મંજુલ સાદ લઈ આવે ગીત ગુંજન–

તરુણ દિલ મસ્ત સાંજ કુસુમલતા કુંજન

અણજાણ્યા અણધાર્યા પ્રેમ અશ્રુ અંજન–

રોમાંચક રતિ પ્રિયા રજની  મધુ  રંજન

શ્રાવણના ઝરમરમાં   ભીંજાયુ  ગુંજન–

ભક્તહ્રદય ભક્તિલીન આરતી ને પૂજન

રામ રટણ   દિનચર્યા  રોમરોમ  ગુંજન–

દુઃખ જનની વાસનાનો મોહભાવ ભૂંજન

સહજભાવ સર્વત્યાગ  આનંદનુ  ગુંજન–

જ્ઞાન ને વૈરાગ બેઉ આધ્યાત્મિક વ્યંજન

બ્રહ્મનિષ્ઠ  યોગીનુ  આત્મરત    ગુંજન–

 

A Teenage Son

This time for sure

      I got him under my thumb

But alas! He is so slick

      He slips away without a click—

This moment I think

        I put  my foot down so firm

But alas! He is so convincing

       Proves again so invincing—

The strength of my convictions

       Is stronger than my emotions

But alas! My liberal voice imply

      He never has to comply—

 

Parents have privilege

       To express  their opinions

But alas! Our children have freedom

      To choose their companions—

 

O’ my son, you teach me so well

No expectations no regrets—

 

Helping Hand

                                                    

 A survivor’s story 

 

             I was in America less than three years and was filling up the pages in my diary with my secret tortured life. At the age thirty-five, I left my own business in India and came here to join this new family with many dreams. But in this house I was treated as a slave. I was expected to serve my husband, mother-in-law and teenager stepson with the

preset rules of when, where, how and which way.  I kept on doing all that happily, from 5am to 10pm, with the longing that my husband shows some care for me. I was called stupid because my English was not good and I was humble. I was not allowed to know any thing about household finances or his income. I was giving him all my earnings and in return I was given a small allowance.  The verbal abuse was constant from husband and mother-in-law. My diary was soaked with my lonely tears.

   

            All the people I knew were my husband’s friends and relatives. Whom can I tell and who will believe me?  I cannot write to my family in India because, my in-laws were extremely sensitive about their reputation in the society. My husband moved out of our bedroom and told lies to his mother and to the casual so called friends. My Ex and his mother started telling me to “pack your bag and get lost”.  They wanted me to leave penniless and humiliated so they can look good in the society. He threatened me with legal consequences.

 

          Finally, I mustered up my courage and talked to one of his friends, who is a Domestic Violence Volunteer. First, I told her very little and waited for her reaction. After a few days I felt that I could trust her. Once I had her support, my self-confidence and strength slowly came back. I had to relearn to be strong. My advocate was my lifesaver. I no longer felt helpless. The Organization helped me with the lawyer’s fees and my advocate spent countless hours with me and accompanied me to get through the legal and emotional web. I moved out of that house with good settlement, with good friends and with dignity. I cannot imagine where I would have been without their help. My mentor expressed my feelings in her poem. 

A Survivor

                  

————- 

 

 

  Working with the victims of domestic violance,poems like this has been written.

                                                                       Saryu Parikh

 

                Painting By:Dilip Parikh    

 

        helping hand

 

sis, I accepted strangers as my own

my heart was full of hopes and dreams

I came trusting the thread of love

I enjoyed the bliss of marriage

 

He was center of my universe

he was staying in my inner most trust

he was the purpose of my breath

now miserable cry in my sigh

 

that tender string broke in the midst

couldn’t mend it with  all  the  efforts

he cut it with jurks left me sad and helpless

now all alone, who’s support will I have!

 

let the tears flow today due to the sudden burn

but my soul lamp is shining with the inner strength

 promise, I will find my lost self respect

with the help of your sweet smile, o’sis

with the help of your sweet smile 

 

મહાભારતના પાત્રો

જીજ્ઞાસુ અર્જુન ગીતાનો   જ્ઞાનપ્યાસમાં    વિચરે

દ્રોણાચાર્ય  હું   બની ફરું     ગત   કર્મોના  સંસ્કારે

 

આ દુર્યોધન  જે  વસે મહીં,    કામ ક્રોધ   આધારે

મન સત્તાધારી ધૃતરાષ્ટ્ર જે મોહવશ થઈ રાજ કરે

 

માયાળુ ને પ્રેમભર્યા એ  ’હું’ કર   ભીષ્મ દુઃસંગ કરે

 સમતા જ્ઞાન   વિવેક છતાંયે  કુરુકાંત આસક્ત રહે

 

પાંચ ચક્રને જાગ્રત કરતી  પાંચાલી વશીકાર બને

કૃષ્ણ એ મારો અંતર આત્મા  નહીં રે મંદિર મંદિરે

 

કુરુક્ષેત્રની   લખી   કહાણી  અનેક    પાત્રો  વાળી

મુનિવ્યાસ તમ વાર્તા  શૈલી  ગહન અતિ મર્માળી

——————————

અર્જુનઃ સાધક.       દ્રોણાચાર્ય: સંસ્કાર.

દુર્યોધનઃ કામના.    ધૃતરાષ્ટ્રઃ મોહાંધ.

ભીષ્મઃ અહંકાર.     પાંચાલી, દ્રૌપદીઃ કુંડલિની.

કુરુક્ષેત્રઃ શરીરક્ષેત્ર.

મારી સમજ અનુસાર, નમ્રતાપૂર્વક-Saryu