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Violence, Resistance and Revolution

By Shaunak Sastry
We spoke a little bit about violence and resistance in class yesterday, and questioned the necessity of violence in revolution. We read Schaff who believes that the words revolution and violence are often put together in reductive Marxist readings. I was listening to this poem by Piyush Mishra, the Hindi poet and lyricist, which I thought frames the idea of violence really well. This poem of his features in the film 'Gulaal' for those of you who've seen it; and quite ironically to our scenario, features in the film in the backdrop of college elections. I am putting up the Hindi version here. My apologies to those who cannot read Hindi (I'll translate it for you over a drink someday); my apologies also to those who CAN read Hindi, for I'm sure my Grammar is pretty bad. (Postcolonial ennui? No matter!).

Read on!
Shaunak

आरम्भ
- पियुष मिश्र

आरम्भ हैं प्रचंड, बोल मस्तकों के झुण्ड आज जंग की घडी की तुम गुहार दो,
आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान आज एक धनुष के बाण पे उतार दो

मन करे सो प्राण दे जो मन करे सो प्राण ले वही तो एक सर्वशक्तिमान हैं
मिश्र की पुकार हैं, ये भगवत का सार हैं कि युद्ध ही तो वीर का प्रमाण हैं,
कौरवों की भीड़ हो, या पांडवों का नीड़ हो, जो लड़ सका हैं वह ही तो महान हैं.

जीत कि हवस नहीं, किसी पे कोई वश नहीं, क्या ज़िन्दगी हैं ठोकरों पे मार दो,
मौत अंत हैं नहीं, तो मौत से भी क्यों डरें, यह जा के आस्मान में दहाड़ दो
आरम्भ हैं प्रचंड, बोल मस्तकों के झुण्ड आज जंग की घडी की तुम गुहार दो,
आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान आज एक धनुष के बाण पे उतार दो

वो दया का भाव, या कि शौर्य का चुनाव, या कि हार का वो घाव तुम यह सोच लो,
या कि पूरे भाल पर जला रहे विजय का लाल-लाल ये गुलाल तुम ये सोच लो,
रंग केसरी हो, या मृदंग केसरी हो, या कि केसरी हो ताल तुम ये सोच लो!

जिस कवि की कल्पना में ज़िन्दगी हो प्रेम गीत उस कवि को आज तुम नकार दो
भीगती मसों में आज, फूलती रगों में आज आग की लपट का तुम बघार दो.
आरम्भ हैं प्रचंड, बोल मस्तकों के झुण्ड आज जंग की घडी की तुम गुहार दो,
आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान आज एक धनुष के बाण पे उतार दो.
-
पियुष मिश्र

Comments

Christine said…
I would like to hear the translation some day. Perhaps if you have time you could post it here?
April 26, 2010 at 4:23 AM
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