Sunday, October 20, 2002		Books

Poetry with an eternal message
M. L. Sharma

Laut Aao Parth
by Madhav Kaushik. Sahitya Bhandar. Pages 64. Rs 95.

LAUT Aao Paarth is the tenth literary work of Madhav Kaushik. It is in the style of Sanskrit Khand kavya, a long poem on a mythical or a mythological theme with a message for humanity at large. In this genre of writing this is Kaushik’s second book. The first was Suno Radhika, which was well received in literary circles. Written in four parts, this poem is in blank verse but still there is lilting music in its lines. The refrain of the book is that escape from the realities of life does not behove a man of action and valour and one who has realised truth in his life. To work selflessly in the turmoil of life is the ideal that a sincere worker should strive for. Life is real, life is earnest/And the grave is not its goal — this oft-quoted line from Longfellow’s Psalm of Life sums up the philosophy of the Bhagavadgita. In this poem the same divine message is delivered along with its practical applications. Lord Krishna is the model as well as the teacher and he stresses the importance of believing and practising this truth. He advocates the judicious combination of sanyasa and grihastha ashrams.

Lord Krishna advocated and preached only that which he had earlier put into practice. This philosophy is not new, its seeds are present in the Vedas but the water and the soil which Lord Krishna lent to those seeds have enabled them to sprout into divine saplings of perennial beauty.

In the first part of the book Lord Krishna says that even if circumstances are adverse one should stick to one’s guns and do one’s duty.

The war Arjuna fought at Kurukshetra was not the last war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The war, according to Lord Krishna, will continue in all yugas. In these wars, the Kauravas will again and again confront the Pandavas. In all these wars, Lord Krishna will be Arjuna’s charioteer. The divine message of the Lord will be delivered again and again. This idea has been given expression in these lines:

Aise yuddhon ki kathain/Khatm ho sakti nahin hain/... Jab kabhi hoga samar/main sarthi ban kar /tumhara saath doonga.

The last part of the book is metaphysical and defines the concept of unity between truth (satya) and welfare (kalyan or shivam).

This book has been selected for being awarded by the Haryana Sahitya Akademi this year. In several poetical lines the book touches sublime heights. Its simplicity and lucidity add to its significance.