Monday, April 29, 2013

“ Changed a Blade into a Bunch of Tender Leaves” – "Karunasri' Jandhyala Papayya Sastry


When invaders in droves arrive in
To loot the  land of   Bharat
When the demons rise up
And persecute the pious
When  the evil raises the sword
And insults the humanity
When selfishness  swallows altruism
And struggles  with  peace  in vain
The lord descends on the earth in compassion
And becomes refuge to the wretched
The earth is enthralled !
The position of the arrogant is routed
The bell of Dharmadhenu  is reverberated in every house.

The clouds of sorrow drifted  afar
The rays of the Sun lightened the corners four
In poets’ hearts bloomed the flowers of poesy
The blessings of sages rained on our  history

The Tretayug succeeded the Krityug
Fetched  the fame of Ramachandra
The  Dwaparayug followed the Tretayug 
Brought the glorious riches of Srikrishna
Then  came the Kaliyug in the world
In its heart moved the age of Gandhi
His name resounded in the cosmos
Behind him moved the world.

The poets who saw it  radiated  the moonlight
Gave  the salutes floral   with hearts of delight
Romain Rolland praised Gandhi’s miracle
The dame of Tagore’s poesy danced afresh.

What people! What greatness! How much the body thrilled
In this ocean I  turned into a grain  of sand
I can’t take a step in this stream of people
I can’t move my lip in this song of victory.

Cruel roars reached four corners
Challenges rose into the skies
“A blow for blow, Sword for sword”
Wild laughter  resounded  in  the Space.

Sharpened the sword   slit  the throats
Men  turned  demons  killed their brothers
Fired the cannon   scorched the heart of the earth
Bomber planes smoke filled the sky
Burned in flames   the world
Rains of shells-streams of blood.

What vigor   brought  this iron age
One religion killed another one
What fruit  fetched  this age of sword
One country devoured another.

Here scientists  there the ignorant
The rustic gods sans lies and malice
The workers with shovel and axe
The ryot sardars who share crop with the populace

Awaited  the savior
Who comes in a new avatar
To destroy the demons
Change the world and humans.

Who’s he? who’s he?  A half-naked form!
Agony in his eye! Inspiration  of victory  in his tone!
Dances Brahmatejas on his forehead
Floats lights of truth at the edges  of his eyes
Bow their heads the ends of blades before his cosmic love
Shake even the doors of diamond before his pledge.


He’s our ambassador of peace, Gandhi
Our statesman dear to the whole world
 Allayed fears of war his liberating voice
Triveni  of theories of  Buddha Muhammad Christ .    
 
Melted the cannon rusted the gun
Broken the sword departed death
On hearing the ahimsa mantra once
Gone the weapons of destruction at once        

The hearts of stone turned  into streams of honey today
Ravana does yagnas to  “turn into Rama” today

Arrived like this  the age of humans
Received the great song of blessings
Gone  like that the age of demons
Bending its neck under the weight of weapons

Weaved a stone into garland of jasmines
Changed “the rapier into bunch of  tender leaves”
Transformed the demon into human
Bapu! Where did you get  this education?  

Receive Bapu! This arghyanjali this poem
Sprinkle  honey  on these drops of water
Streams of tears in memory
 Of those two great men in Agakhan palace.

Enough one small  drop of  your tears
 Fallen  from  your eyelids
Sprinkle  honey  on these drops of water
Receive Bapu! This arghyanjali this poem.

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