Friday, October 26, 2007

Roopmati, Meera, Gatha...

Today afternoon, when I was desperately looking for my recommendation letters, I found my old diary in which I'd written all wonderful quotes when I was in school. A loose page dropped... It contained poems written by Rani Roopmati- Poems of absolute dedication!!

Man meet sang neha lage, sukh dukh sab apanaavat baavariya...
Kahe bhav duja man bhavan, tan man ek sab hi saanwariya...!!

And then,

Shaban-e-hijara daraj yu jhulf, va roj-e-waslat yu umrah kotah..
sakhi piya ko jo main na dekhu, kaise kaatu andheri ratiya....???

Dark nights of separation appear endlessly long like my dark black hair... moments spent together appear as small as life..... :-)
It's amazing concept... endless like long dark hair.... I envy the wealth of her hair... and momentary like- life!!!!

This reminds me of another Sanskrit poetry- softly romantic, delicate like a naughty transparent duppata.. which hides but still reveals!!! ;-)

I do not remember the exact lines, but meaning is as follows...

I got up at midnight; he was deep asleep beside me. I caught moon, peeping like a thief in our room through the huge open window; staring at him with envy. I feared his sight (buri nazar!!), and initially thought of covering his face with my delicate duppata... but soon I realized that it would disturb his sleep... Then, I opened my loosely tied long dark thick hair and I bent over his face. With my face very close to his, I started staring at his handsome face... my hair fell all around without touching his face and it automatically formed a thick curtain between his face and moon :-)!!!

gatha saptshati narrates many such delicate four liners, uncovers fears in tender young minds as mugdha, and travels through the difficult mesh of woman minds, addressing feelings and fears of every age!!!

Fears and worries remain more or less same even today, those are eternal foolish little worries :-). Mugdha fears of loosing her lover, and Rasika fears of finding her husband unfaithful, Middle aged lady worries about her children and old lady, sweeter than honey and riped with experiences, advises rightly. :-)
Gatha narrates stories of womanhood of one culture... reveals it's cultural richness; and being women centered throws some light on the structure of society.

Rani Roopmati's poems are entirely different, they remind me of Meera; I find the same devotion and dedication in her lines.
I am in love with these ladies.. am in love with the way they loved!!!

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