Contemplation Poems

रहीम के दोहे

Abdul Rahim Khankhana (1556-1627) was one of the nav-ratnas of Emperor Akabar. He was a great warrior as well as a poet. His dohas have important messages and a great deal of worldly wisdom. He also wrote many dohas in praise of Lord Krishna and Rama. Here is a sample …

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राही के मुक्तक – बालस्वरूप राही

राही के मुक्तक – बालस्वरूप राही

Famous poet Bal Swaroop Rahi has written a large number of muktaks. Here are a few of them. Rajiv Krishna Saxena राही के मुक्तक मेरे आँसू तो किसी सीप का मोती न बने साथ मेरे न कभी आँख किसी की रोई ज़िन्दगी है इसकी न शिकायत मुझको गम तो इसका …

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नवम्बर की दोपहर – धर्मवीर भारती

नवम्बर की दोपहर – धर्मवीर भारती

November here denotes the twilight of life. One remembers the by-gone love of yesteryears that was lost. What would she be doing, one wonders… The years would have aged her too. This bit by bit aging (til til kar pakna) would go-on till the end of life … beautifully stated …

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प्रेमिका का उत्तर कवि को – बालस्वरूप राही

प्रेमिका का उत्तर कवि को – बालस्वरूप राही

Heart-break of losing the love of one’s life is unbearable, but if the loser is a poet, the verbalization of depression can be very eloquent. This is second poem of a set of two poems from Bal Swarup Rahi. In the first poem [click here to read], the poet was …

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प्रथम प्रणय – धर्मवीर भारती

Remember your first love? Well, Bharti ji puts forward two points of view. Firstly every one forgets the first love as it is not very important. He also puts forward an alternative view point that no one ever forgets the first love. I leave the decision to the readers. Rajiv …

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फूले फूल बबूल – नरेश सक्सेना

फूले फूल बबूल – नरेश सक्सेना

Fast changing social system and increasing complexity of modern life have bewildered the modern man. This feeling is reflected in contemporary modern poetry too. Here is a lovely poem expressing the rather undefined sense of being lost. The feeling that we don’t even know what we actually want in life… …

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फूल और मिट्टी – वीरबाला

फूल और मिट्टी – वीरबाला भावसार

Dear readers, my mother Dr. Veerbala who was my inspiration and a great help in the editorial work for Geeta-Kavita, is no more. She was 79 years old but remained alert and intellectually active till her end came on Monday the 9th August 2010. The only sister of the famous …

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कुम्हलाये हैं फूल – ठाकुर गोपाल शरण सिंह

कुम्हलाये हैं फूल – ठाकुर गोपाल शरण सिंह

In this lovely poem, flowers are metaphors for children. Those children who do not have a childhood are like wilted flowers. Like the children I photographed recently in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar Market, selling various sundry items to passers by. Rajiv Krishna Saxena कुम्हलाये हैं फूल अभी–अभी तो खिल आये थे …

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कोई और छाँव देखेंगे – ताराप्रकाश जोशी

कोई और छाँव देखेंगे - ताराप्रकाश जोशी

We often feel that this life was just a learning experience and if only we could do it again with the accumulated wisdom. At time we feel dejected at the contorted and unfair ways of the world. If only we could run away and find a better place… This poem …

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कल्पना और जिंदगी – वीरेंद्र मिश्र

कल्पना और जिंदगी – वीरेंद्र मिश्र

As a man matures in thinking, his past simple beliefs slowly get shattered and the real bitter truth about life stares directly into his eyes. It is like the shattering of belief in Santa Clause in children. Sooner or later the real truth dawns. Here is a famous poem of …

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