In Search of HIM

Adarsh Ajit
8Abhilash tcha kus atur karaan/dai kon anugreh karaan chui/tcha roz toti astot karaan/dayi naav kona soraan tchus
By reading Abhilash’s devotional poetry one comes to the conclusion that the traditional ‘Kashmiri leela’ has not died down and that it continues to enchant the readers interested in devotion, spirituality and divine contemplation. The poet uses apt terminology and metaphors in order to   compare nature’s cycle with his ever growing experiences. Being a Kashmiri he uses figures of speech taken from nature, viz, plants, birds, waters, greenery to communicate his feelings. His lines are musical and, as such, soothing. His language is praiseworthy and chaste. Most of the lines are full of puns, knots and multi-dimensional meanings. Ambiguity is a marked feature of Abhilash’s poetry.
Abhilash dismisses the towering personas who have achieved the heights in their respective fields but have failed in feeling Him. The result is naught when one fails in merging with Him during lifetime.
The poet warns that despite the routine and short-term triumphs they will have to face Him with shame. Quoting the great conquerors of the world the poet says all had to go empty handed:
kroodach kartal mochha manz thavith/pravith vantam provath kyah
The verses yi kus maenis lolas faraan/dayi naav kon swraan chus/me chuna paanas fikri tarran/ dayi naav kon swaraan chus and hes kar paano hosh thav poor/danji tcheth yina tchali lanji lanji door/pata kati boli teli lol kostoor/danji tcheth yina tchali lanji lanji door reflect poet’s maddening aspiration and longing to merge with the over soul. He tries to free himself from the mundane attachments and emerge like a walnut that comes out from its outer covering and falls down from the tree:
geli geli satee yeli alroavum/mann golrovum maayayi nish/gwali manz wal sate yal karnovum/mann golrovum maayayi sate
Though disheartened and dejected with his karmas forcing his continuity in the lifecycle and without having His glimpse, the poet, in elegant, chiselled and metrical expression, has succeeded in eradicating the black spots without conflict and confusion. Unlike most of his contemporary poets who write devotional poetry, Abhilash is determined to explore his own soul where he can feel, love and think of Him. He is busy in overcoming the hurdles like lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment, and false pride.
He comments that if he does not meet Him here how can he reach Him after the end? The poet also repents for his wastage of breaths in routine activities. Every breath without the feeling of warmth of divine love is meaningless for him. He feels sorry for a bud like him that had to bloom with Godly essence but withers in the shade of weird thoughts. Calling himself ignorant and unwise he complains that even God also evades him:
hatta matta vaansa kar meti zaayi/shah maa khate maene shah sanz raayi/bati draas naadan suti rood tchaayi
The poet has lost sleep, hunger, and peace. He wants to delink from the worldly attachments at times and live a virtuous and disciplined life. He fails to escape his household responsibilities which are assigned to him by his birth chart.
san chum logmut wan kas kotah/khen chen tane chum rotmut meai/nendri naash kornam yi vechaare vechaari/me hai laj lol bemaryay
Abhilash blames himself for accumulating dirt, for not trying to clean his inner self, for multiplying the sins and for his negligence towards the Almighty. He wants the five senses to be alert and active so that the devotional outflow is not missed.
na monjum zaanh na surnoavum/ andar paapan yi hurnovum/me rooz gaflat patai paiham/tchetomut mann kar tshrochem.
He wants to enter the world of spirituality under the guidance of a Guru to get age-old knots untied. With the ticking of the hands of the clock he laboriously exploits all his capacities and capabilities to have a glimpse of his Beloved. He catches the branch of belief stoutly and is on way to his destination with determination.
bhagwaan bakhtis practhi yuth saalas/mann chum traavun tath tchaathaalas/ tchore vead heth yiyi maj zangi thaalas/ mann chu traavun tath chaathaalas
Most of the couplets divulge compound connotations. It depends on the profundity of the reader to extract the real. The gaagren manz aav aagar vonee/thhaan dith tchol nebar poniye/grakhvane deg as tchaari vesiye/nermal mann hai gom taari vesiye superficially exposes that despite all efforts to control the eye lids failed to cover the eyes under the pressure of spiritual love and the sockets were flooded with tears. But on the higher contours it unfolds that it needs the capacity to retain the eternal love to sustain otherwise it will destroy the container.
And when the poet sees light of holy unity, for a second, he feels as if he is walking ecstatically on the banks of finale of peace where only the nectar oozes out in the shape of words in his praise though he knows that his capacity to praise him is beyond his comprehension. For him the spiritual mansion of love is like a lighthouse eradicating darkness inch by inch and directing for the right ways. The flute of Krishna and the ash-clad Shiva magnetise the poet’s heart.
Many poems are written in praise of lord Shiva. The poet paints the picture of Shiva in super consciousness but on the other side taunts that the mundane people want miracles and fruits. In yi chi maaya chane, Abhilash praises God’s skill of creating sun, moon, sky, rainbow, water, air, fire, etc. The poem daari avatar asi rov garh maji is the narration of displacement caused due to the alien and polluted air of Kashmir.
It is the story of mothers who lost their sons, betrothed girls whose   fiancés were killed, son and father who were consigned to flames in the crematorium and the curses in displacement. Pandits are portrayed as walking skeletons. And thus a plea is made to mother goddess to come on earth to soothe the wounds. Another poem bab meani nabkui saal karnaavtam depicts the developmental status from infancy with respect to the growing materialism:
zanman heund mal larith vachas/tachas kota karas kya
The poet has included some poems and songs which are not about spirituality but touch existential and other issues. The song dashi gande gande koora zaaye/soi hai draayi az varew kun/yas mange mange hetch sharikaaye/ soi hai draayi az varui kun/ kori maaleunn yun patche baaye/ na chu dasgah na su daawa/ vane chui maaleun zan vopar jaaye/ soi hai draayi az varew kun reveals universal love of parents for their daughters. On their marriages the mothers’ hearts sink as their daughters grow up under their shade. The houses full of joy, love, happiness look lifeless. The poet himself gets gloomy and is in tears while writing these verses on the paper.
Abhilash has dedicated the book to Lal Ded. But the portrait of Lal Ded is unattractive and disgusting. It should not have been included and printed. Makhan Lal Kanwal’s detailed introductory paper is illuminating.  Anand Swami Pran Nath Bhat Gharib’s two pages are encouraging for the poet.
Better way to conclude the review is to quote Abhilash:
tchum firaaq jigras baari vesiyay/tawai tchum osh vasaan daari vesiyay/yehai shar Abhilash maari vesiyay/nermal mann hai goam taari vesiyay

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here